La Clase de Carriedo
by thenewalchemist
Summary: Lovina Vargas hates the new teacher that waltzes into her life. He's making her senior year a living hell. Or is he? fem!Romano and Spain. Spamano. Spamano everywhere. With some side pairings. I don't own Hetalia, but I sure as hell wish I did.
1. Tardy

**I'm so pumped for this AU. It'll be a blast, I promise. **

Late on the first day. What a great way to start off at a new school.

Antonio ran down the hallways of the unfamiliar building, letting his messy brown hair fly everywhere. He searched frantically for the right room. At least he was in the English hallway. He silently cursed as the tardy bell rang. _Wonderful first impression, Carriedo _He thought to himself ascontinued to search. He finally found the place he was looking for, room 121. Antonio quickly pushed back his hair and organized the stray papers poking out of his bag before walking in.

"I am so sorry I am late" he apologized before setting his things on his desk. The students in the class gave him puzzled looks as he flashed them a smile. "I am Mr. Carriedo. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Antonio smirked to himself when he heard some of the female students giggle. Almost all of them stared and ogled as he scribbled his name on the chalkboard. Almost all of them. His first class seemed nice and welcoming enough. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad.

(-)

Lovina hated him.

She rolled her eyes and rested her head on her desk. Staring out the window was much more entertaining. She scowled when she saw one of the more obnoxious girls in her class raise her hand and giggle.

"Mr. Carriedo? I-Is that Spanish? Your name I mean…" The bastard teacher grinned and nodded. "Si, chica. Muy bien!" Lovina wanted to gag. What kind of asshole was this guy?

"Alright, time to take attendance. Please forgive me if I say your name wrong. Natalia?"

The stoic girl raised her hand and uttered a stern "here".

"Ludwig Beilschmidt?" Mr. Carriedo flashed a stupid grin and stared at the potato bastard. "You're Gil's little hermano!"

The whole class, including Lovina, snickered. Ah Mr. Beilschmidt. The craziest teacher in school. No, the world. Ludwig winced and sighed. "Ja, that's me" he mumbled. Lovina's sister, Feliciana smiled and reached across the aisle to hold his hand. "Luddy, you're blushing!" she squealed. Lovina groaned and went back to sulking. More than half a semester into her senior year and she was already done. She glanced at her new teacher who was cheerfully taking down names. Kiku, Heracles, Toris, Feliks, after awhile she stopped paying attention.

Lovina daydreamed about going home and taking a nap. That would be absolutely perfect. She closed her eyes and smiled. "Lovina?"

Lovina quickly picked up her head and blinked when she heard her name. Her cheeks turned red as he stared at her waiting for an answer. How did he expect her to respond when he was grinning like that.

"H-Here" she responded weakly. Feliciana chuckled and smiled. "She's my sorella!" she announced. Lovina slunk back n her chair as her new teacher continued to watch her. "Nice to meet you. Now try to stay awake in my class, ok chica?"

Lovina glared at the back of his head after he winked and turned around. Oh she definitely hated him.

(-)

His first day had flown by without any problems. Antonio smirked a bit as he packed his things up. He couldn't get that girl from his first period out his mind. She really stood out from the crowd. Antonio was a characteristically charming and charismatic man. But she was cold to him during the whole class.

He chuckled as he walked out the door. He'd get her to like him soon enough.

"Oi Toni!"

Antonio whipped his head around and waved at his friend and now co-worker who was walking down the hall. "How was the first day? These brats bust your balls yet?" Antonio laughed and shook his head. "No, Gil, they're very nice. I even have your brother! And I think his little girlfriend is in that class too. He's really grown up mi amigo!"

Gilbert nodded and struck a triumphant pose. "And who do you think was awesome enough to bravely lead him into manhood?" he smirked. Antonio rolled his eyes and shook his head. "How he turned out normal with you around is a mystery. Hey, did you ever have a girl named Lovina Vargas?"

Gilbert threw his head back and laughed as they walked to the parking lot. "Is she already giving you shit?" he snorted. Antonio gave him a quizzical stare and tilted his head. "No. I mean, she's a bit grumpy, but she's not bad or anything."

Gilbert's laughter turned into a fit of giggles. Manly giggles. "Have fun with that one Toni, she's a loose cannon. Set her off and BOOM." Gilbert made an exploding gesture with his hands for emphasis. "But get on her good side and she's the best" he added with a smile.

"So you had her?"

Gilbert nodded. "She was in my history class last year. But I knew her way before that. Ludwig's been close with her sister since they were kids."

Antonio snapped his fingers as he recalled the younger twin's names. "Feliciana, right? She was nothing like her sister…" Gilbert chuckled and walked to his car. "Polar opposites. But in my opinion, the latter is far more entertaining" he snickered before waving Antonio off.

The teacher shrugged and climbed into his car. Maybe this year would be interesting.

(-)

"So what do you think of Mr. Carriedo, Sorella?"

Lovina pouted as she tied her apron around her waist. "I think he's and idiot. A stupid Spanish stronzo" she hissed. Feliciana frowned and crossed her arms. "That's not very nice sorella. He didn't even get mad at you or try to punish you for not paying attention" she scolded.

Lovina rolled her eyes and sleeves. "Yes he did; humiliation. He pointed it out to the whole class, that bastard" she snapped. "I hate him" she added before waltzing down the stairs into the family restaurant on the bottom floor of their home. Feliciana shook her head and followed.

Lovina walked into the large kitchen and leaned against the counter. "Hey bastard we're ready to be slaves-I mean work." Their grandfather, Roma Vargas walked over carrying two plates of pasta. "Would it kill you to call me nonno, bambina?" Feliciana smiled and hugged his waist.

"I call you nonno!" she declared. Roma chuckled and handed the plates to Lovina. "I know Bambina, and I am grateful you do. Now Lovi, take those to table three, and hey! Where is your bulbo forato?"

Lovina groaned and turned around, still carrying the plates. "Do I have to wear that stupid thing?" she whined. Roma nodded and rolled his eyes. "This is the Cantina Rosso Lovi. So yes, you do."

Lovina scowled and balanced both the plates on one arm while pulling a red rose hair piece from her pocket and sticking it behind her ear. "There, contento?" she snapped before marching out.

Lovina plastered a smile on her face as soon as she entered the dining area. She sweetly placed the meals she was carrying in front of an elderly couple before going to check up on her sister. "Heracles, table 4!" she called as she passed by the vacant booth. Heracles, her classmate and busboy nodded and headed to where she directed.

Lovina's eyes widened when she saw her sister heading toward a group of young men. She never let her sister take on what she liked to call "more than likely horny bastard" customers. Feliciana didn't know how to handle them.

"Feli, why don't you go to table seven?" Lovina smiled and pointed to a family. Feliciana nodded and eagerly hurried over. When her sister was gone, she went over to the rambunctious table.

"Ciao machio, my name is Lovina." She flashed them her most charming smile. "But you can call me Lovi" she added with a wink. She was so going to get an enormous tip from these idiots. Her grandfather was oblivious to how overly flattering her black dress uniform was on her. Give em the old Italian charm and they were putty in her hands.

"Would you like to hear the specials? How about some of our finest wine? What do you say machio?" Lovina successfully tricked them into buying the most expensive items on the menu. Gotta love that Italian charm.

Lovina quickly brought them back their wine before heading over to another regular while ignoring unwanted comments coming from the stupid table.

"The usual, Arthur?"

The bushy-eyebrowed man nodded and continued to read the paper while Lovina scribbled his order down. Expresso and zepolle. Lovina lingered for a second before walking away. "Chatty as usual" she grumbled before putting his afternoon usual together. She placed the coffee and pastry in front of him. He simply nodded again and gave a little grunt. "You're welcome" she grumbled.

"Oh Lovi!"

Lovina whipped her head around and saw the other idiots she was serving wave her over. She forced a grin and held up a finger, indicating she'd be there in a moment.

Lovina groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose when she wasn't facing them anymore. She glared at Arthur when he let out a low chuckle. "Oh shut up" she snapped before playing the pretty little Italian girl once again for the men.

"What can I do for you, machio?"

**So now we start to have the jist of everything. Be sure to review. Also, suggest characters. I got a freaking classroom of opportunities. There will also be more teachers. See ya next time!**

**Hermano-brother**

**Sorella-sister**

**Stronzo-asshole**

**Bambina-little girl**

**Nonno-grandpa**

**Machio-boys**

**Bulba forato-rose**

**Contento-happy**


	2. It Takes Two To Tango

Lovina decided to take up her favorite class pastime; staring out the window. He had only been here for three weeks, yet Lovina already couldn't stand her new teacher. He was infuriating! All he did was smile and joke and wink and chuckle and try to act so goddamn perfect. How everyone could be so infatuated with such an idiot was beyond her.

And he always gave her these looks. Like he was searching for something. It annoyed the living hell out of her. No one ever paid any attention to her before, so why was this idiot always watching her like she was something important? Lovina scowled and clenched her fists. Why couldn't he be normal and ignore her like her other teachers? The only other one that had ever acknowledged her was Gilbert, but most of the time it was just to torment her.

But Mr. Carriedo wasn't teasing her or asking her impossible questions like Gil. He gave her simple questions or tasks with a stupid grin. But his questions were just about ridiculous things like "symbolism" or "rhetoric". Lovina rolled her eyes and paced her head on her desk. She hated English.

Why did everyone insist on going to such great lengths to find the meaning of something? There's a reason we keep the most important things hidden. It's stupid to try to read between the lines for something that wasn't meant to be clear in the first place.

Lovina sighed and glanced at the book on her desk. She quickly decided that the only person dumber than Mr. Carriedo was William Shakespeare. She didn't understand why everyone thought he was so great. All his plays were the same! Either everyone died at the end or got married. And the play they were currently forced to read was his worst one. Romeo and Juliet.

She'd already read it and seen the movie at least a dozen times. But only because she didn't understand and wanted to mock it. How people saw it as a romantic love story was a mystery. All it's about is some poor bastard being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Romeo was the only victim. He had to learn the hard way that love is stupid and only gets people hurt. And on top of that, it was written in the most annoying version of English ever created. British people were so stupid. (except for Arthur. He was pretty quiet and left good tips, so she didn't _hate _him)

"Lovina!"

Lovina snapped her head up, extremely pissed about being distracted from her thoughts. "What do you want, bastard?!" she hissed.

The class fell silent. Even Mr. Carriedo stared at her, dumbstruck. Lovina clamped her hand over her mouth and shook her head. "I-I didn't mean it, I-"

Lovina bit her lip and winced as her teacher let out an exasperated sigh. "Please see me after class Lovina. And I don't suppose you can tell me why Romeo couldn't be with Rosaline."

Lovina sank in her chair and glanced away. "She was going to be a nun. She was celibate" she responded quietly. Mr. Carriedo looked like he was about to say something, but stopped. A tiny, amused smile came across his lips. "That's correct" he replied a little surprised. "And what does Benvolio do to cheer Romeo up?" he asked the rest of his class. "He takes Romeo to a party so he can get drunk and find another woman."

Mr. Carriedo smirked and looked at Lovina. "He is quite the wingman, isn't he Lovina?" Lovina quickly nodded, attempting to give him her full attention. Inside, however, she was a shitstorm of rage. Lovina scowled again as soon as he turned around. Feliciana shot her a disappointed look just as the bell rang.

Mr. Carriedo whipped his head around and smiled. "Gracias class. Remember to read scenes two and three of act one, and fill out the reading guide along with your annotations. Adios!"

Lovina stood quietly with the rest of the class and tried to ignore all the dirty looks she was receiving as she packed her things up. She went as slowly as possible, wanting to put off having to spend more than two seconds alone with that bastard.

(-)

Antonio rested his chin on his hand and waited for Lovina to come forward. All of his other students liked him, but she was just so difficult. Even so, he couldn't help but yearn for her approval even more. There was something about the challenge that made him more eager to please.

Antonio frowned and silently scolded himself. He was the teacher, she was the student. She was supposed to be the one trying to please him, not the other way around.

Antonio choked a little when he realized there were other connotations of what he was thinking. He blinked as Lovina glanced at him after his sudden movement. Antonio quickly composed himself when she approached. Without even thinking about it, he rose and pulled up a chair for her, politely waiting for her to sit down. He was a gentleman and always treated a lady right.

Antonio cringed when he went back to his own seat. _Student, not lady _he mentally reminded himself. "Mr. Carriedo, I swear, I didn't mean to-" Lovina started.

Antonio gave her the warmest smile he could make and held up his hand. "Lovina, it's alright. I know you were not trying to be disrespectful. It was a slip of the tongue, si?" Lovina nodded and concentrated on her hands. "However, I wish you'd pay attention in my class chica" he continued. "You haven't been doing well…you understand the content, but you're missing the most important part; the meaning." Antonio studied her as her gaze hardened. "So what, you think I'm stupid?" she replied bitterly. Her gaze finally met his, which sent Antonio reeling back a bit.

He couldn't help but notice how piercing her eyes were. And in such a beautiful way. They were practically gold. He decided it was his goal to see them smiling rather than glaring. "No, of course not" he assured her. "But I do think you need help." Antonio once again gave her an earnest grin. "So I'd like you to meet with me afterschool every other day until your grades improve."

Lovina smirked and crossed her arms as she leaned back n her chair. "I respectfully decline" she scoffed. Lovina sneered triumphantly. He couldn't tell her what to do. And he'd probably give up anyway. Lovina did fine in other classes, but if she struggled she'd just refuse help and figure it out on her own. She didn't need Antonio or anyone.

Antonio narrowed his eyes and mirrored her body language. Two could play at that game. "Alright, Lovina. You _have to_ meet with me afterschool every other day until your grades improve" he shot back. "If you don't, I will be forced to take disciplinary measures. And trust me chica, neither of us wants that. So, shall we start today or tomorrow?"

Lovina stared at him wide-eyed as her lips parted. Antonio couldn't help but mentally celebrate his victory. He'd finally let her know who was boss. But it was a short lived victory when Antonio realized he'd probably only alienated himself from her even more. Lovina glared at him and picked up her bag. "Tomorrow" she hissed through gritted teeth. Antonio sighed when she stood.

"Lovina, wait" he called by the time she reached the door. Lovina barely turned her head to look back at him. Antonio sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not your enemy here, Lovina. I really do want what's best for you."

Antonio winced as he heard her utter a barely audible "bullshit" before storming out.

(-)

"Can you believe that bastard?!"

Arthur looked up from his paper and wordlessly cocked and eyebrow. "I swear to god, if he calls me 'chica' one more time, I'll kick him where it counts!" Lovina snapped. Arthur quietly chuckled and shook his head.

"How dare he care about your future, that wanker!" he chided sarcastically. Lovina narrowed her eyes and pouted as she sat across from him. "Don't patronize me, Artie" she snapped.

Arthur glared at her a bit and crossed his arms. "Don't call me Artie, love" he shot back. Lovina rolled her eyes and groaned. "Grandpa's going to kill me when he finds out I have to skip out on work" she whined.

Arthur tilted his head and gave her a quizzical stare. "I know it's really not my place, but shouldn't he be more concerned about your education instead exploiting you for labor?"

Before she could respond, said grandfather poked his head out from the kitchen. "Lovina! Quit sulking and get back to work!" he ordered. Lovina gestured toward the near empty restaurant and flared her nostrils. "Because this place is just bustling with customers!" she hollered back. Roma crossed his arms and sent her a warning glare. Lovina groaned and picked up the rag she had been using to clean tables. "Catch you later, Artie" she mumbled before heading off.

Lovina wiped down a table in the corner of the dining area. What was with that bastard? Why did he even care? Lovina scrubbed harder as she recalled his words to her before she left.

_I really do want what's best for you._

God, she hated him. The fact that he insisted she needed help only made her despise him more.

"Clean that table any more aggressively and you might break it."

Lovina jumped a bit when she heard Heracles' soft voice behind her. "Yeah, yeah" Lovina mumbled before moving on to the next one. Heracles tilted his head and helped her.

"Are you alright?" he asked hesitantly. Lovina sighed. No matter what, she could never get mad or frustrated with Heracles. He was probably the only one she let question her. "I'm fine" she responded quietly. Heracles gave her a small smile and continued to work.

"That was quite a show you put on today in class" he chuckled quietly. Lovina pouted and gave him a soft glare. "I'm going on tour, shall a make a stop in your city?" she warned. Heracles gently laughed and shook his head.

"That's ok. I'd rather go home in one piece today, thank you very much." Lovina gave him a small smirk and looked back at the table. "Good, I've already got enough people kicking down the door, begging for an encore" she responded.

Lovina's smile fell a bit when she remembered the hell that awaited her the next day. And more days to come. Her confident smirk soon returned as she threw down her rag onto the table.

_Alright Carriedo. Let's see how much of me you can take._

**Everyone is so sassy and wonderful. See you next time!**


	3. Keeping Score

"O brawling love, O loving hate, O anything of nothing first created! O heavy lightness, serious vanity, misshapen chaos of wee-seeming forms."

Lovina sighed as she repeated the line back to Mr. Carriedo. Welcome to day three of what she decided to call "Evil hell time with the Spanish bastard". Mr. Carriedo of course only smiled and sat beside her.

"Good. Now can you point out any literary devices?"

"No" she answered flatly. Mr. Carriedo laughed and shook his head. "You didn't even try chica! Look at the words carefully. How do they connect?" Lovina gave him an exasperated glare before looking back at the page.

She repeated the line over again in her head. "I don't know, it doesn't make any sense!" she huffed. Mr. Carriedo walked to the board and gave her a knowing smirk.

"Maybe that's the point" he hinted. "Tell me Lovina, why doesn't it make sense?"

Lovina groaned and leaned back in her chair. "They're opposites. What kind of an idiot says 'heavy lightness'?"

Antonio chuckled a bit and wrote the words in chalk across the board. "Apparently Romeo" he answered before turning around. "What's this called? Using a word that has an opposite connotation of what it's describing?"

Lovina thought for a moment…

"Oxymoron?" she answered hesitantly. Antonio smiled like she had discovered the cure for cancer. "Perfect" he responded as he wrote it on the board. "Now what does this use of oxymorons tell us about Romeo?"

Did Lovina have an answer for him. She crossed her arms and smirked dismissively. "They say he's an overdramatic wuss who needs to grow a pair." Hah. Vargas:1, Carriedo:0.

"Correct!" Mr. Carriedo rejoiced, laughing.

Wait, what?

"You are exactly correct Lovina" he cooed as he sat beside her again. "Dio mio, if I hear one more of your female classmates say Romeo is a manly hero, I'm going to lose it. You're the only one who sees how much of a loser he was."

Lovina was thoroughly stunned. "Tell me what 'wherefore means', and you might just be my favorite student" he added with a wink.

"Why!" she blurted without thinking. Mr. Carriedo blinked a bit before chuckling. "Because no one seems to understand that it doesn't-"

"I know" she interrupted. "Wherefore means why. 'Wherefore art thou Romeo'. Why must you be Romeo? A Montague." Where the hell was this coming from?! Two seconds ago, she was trying to give him a stupid answer, but he practically ate it from the palms of her hands!

"You're really smart, you know that?"

Lovina's eyes widened as she stared at him. "N-No I'm not, my sister is."

That had always been her automatic response. The few times she'd actually receive a compliment, she'd just figure it was a mistake. Feliciana was good at everything, so no one could really argue against it.

"You both are. But you are much cleverer. I think you're smarter where it counts." He replied softly. Lovina let out a dry laugh and stared at the desk. "I can tell you what a word that no one uses anymore means. La-dee fricken-da" she mumbled.

"Why do you beat yourself up so much?"

Now there was a question she was not expecting. When Lovina looked up, she noticed he was leaning closer, which most definitely caught her off guard. For some reason, the first thing she noticed was his eyes. They were green. Like _really_ green. Before she could stop herself, Lovina started looking for all the specks of gold that were mixed in she could find.

"Lovina?"

Lovina nearly fell out of her seat when she heard his voice again. Thankfully, Mr. Carriedo was able to grab her arms before she toppled over. "Are you alright chica?" he asked while giggling. Lovina turned bright red and scowled. "L-Let go of me, I'm fine!"

Mr. Carriedo shrugged and released her. "You never answered my question, chica. I don't understand. You have so much potential…"

Lovina's expression softened and stared at the desk. "What's the point if you're not going anywhere?" she mumbled bitterly. Mr. Carriedo tilted his head and gave her a puzzled look.

"What do you mean, Lovina? What about your future?" Lovina let out a dry laugh and stared at him. "Don't be ridiculous, I have no future" she snorted. Mr. Carriedo was growing concerned.

"Lovina, it's never too late-"

"That's not it" she interrupted, exasperated and tired of feeling disappointed. Mr. Carriedo hesitantly placed his hands over hers. Lovina quickly picked her head up and stared at him. He had the strangest look in his eye. It was almost…sad?

"Then what is it? Please Lovina; tell me how I can help you."

Lovina's face felt hot as she gaped at him. His hand was almost as warm as that ridiculous grin he always wore. Wait, what? Lovina mentally kicked herself. That was by far the cheesiest the she'd ever thought.

The seconds that ticked by felt like hours. But Mr. Carriedo was still waiting. That's when she realized no one had bothered to ask her what she wanted out of life. She had just been told she'd take over the restaurant. That Feliciana would go off and find what she wanted while Lovina sat around and waited for something to come her way.

"I-It's 4:30" she stuttered. Mr. Carriedo glanced at the clock before sighing and taking away his hand. "So it is. We got through a lot today, Lovi."

Lovina crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. "'Lovi'?" she questioned. Mr. Carriedo grinned and nodded.

"I came up with it all by myself!" he beamed. Lovina let the smallest smile escape her lips.

"Yeah, you're a real Billy Shakespeare. Get it?" she joked halfheartedly as she rose and reached for her bag. Lovina hesitantly looked back at her teacher when he gave no response. She rolled her eyes when she saw him grinning stupidly.

"I will see you in class on Monday, si?"

Lovina nodded, but not before blushing ever so slightly as he winked.

"Adios Lovi!" he called as she headed for the door. Lovina stopped for a moment and pouted a bi.

"Arrivaderci" she muttered before walking out. Lovina sighed as she walked down the hallway.

Vargas:0, Carriedo:1.

**Sorry this one's kinda short. Hopefully I'll write a much longer one next time.**


	4. Romeo and Antonio

Antonio cheerfully greeted his students as they walked through the door. But he was really waiting for Lovina. He grinned when he remembered the tiny smile that most would overlook. But it had ever so slightly lit up her eyes in a way that made him desperate to see it again.

He was starting to get a bit concerned about his fascination with his student. But she was just so…well fascinating. He wanted to help her, get to know her, show her what she could be. He made it his goal to peel back all the layers and find the real Lovi.

Antonio stood up straight as he watched Feliciana trot in. If she was there, that meant Lovina couldn't be too far behind.

And sure enough, the young Italian trudged in, still trying to wake up. "Good morning Lovina!" he beamed when she walked past him. Lovina stopped and blinked before rolling her eyes at his eagerness.

"There's no such thing as a good morning" she mumbled before taking her seat. Antonio frowned at his failed attempt to see her smile again. But he just shrugged and took attendance after the bell rang. He'd try again soon. Antonio was not one to give up.

He began his lesson as usual, making sure to write everything out neatly on the board, book in hand. He turned around, hoping to see his students taking notes. But instead he just saw every pair of female eyes on him. Except for one.

His heart leapt for joy when he saw Lovina quickly writing down her notes after glancing at the board multiple times. He never thought she'd be the only one paying attention. That's when he got his bright idea.

"Lovina?"

Lovina whipped her head up nervously. "I was paying attention, I swear!" she whined. Antonio laughed and shook his head. "I know, chica. That's why I called on you." Antonio felt uneasy when he saw some of the girls glare at her and the boys snicker.

"What's an oxymoron Lovina?"

Lovina turned red and looked away. "A word describing another word that has an opposite meaning" she mumbled. Antonio smiled and nodded.

"Good" he praised. He smirked a bit as he leaned against his desk at the front of the classroom. "Now can you tell me what Romeo's oxymorons tell us about him?"

Lovina turned an even brighter shade of red as she stared at her desk. Her classmates stared at her and waited for a response.

"They show how passionate and strong Romeo is."

Antonio frowned and stepped forward. "Are you sure Lovina?" That was certainly not the answer she gave him the other day. She knew the right answer, she knew better than the silly girls in her class, so why was she playing dumb?

"You remind me of Romeo, Mr. Carriedo" one of the other girls chided. A few others giggled as he looked back at them. But Antonio's heart stopped when he glanced at Lovina again.

There it was. That small smile. Lovina had to cover her mouth when she finally looked at him.

"You're right Mr. Carriedo. How could I be so foolish?" she chuckled. "Romeo's an idiot. A wimpy little wuss who can't get over himself."

Some of the other students let out an audible gasp. Feliciana turned and gave Lovina a disappointed glare. "Sorella, haven't you learned your lesson?" she scolded.

Everyone was shocked when they heard their teacher laugh. "Very good Lovina!"

Some of the other girls glanced at each other nervously. "M-Mr. Carriedo, you do realize, she-"

"Si, she gave me the right answer" he interrupted. Another girl furrowed her brow and raised her hand.

"But Romeo is a heroic lover, not an idiot!" she protested. Antonio smiled and looked back to Lovina.

"Care to enlighten us chica?" he requested politely. Lovina nodded and continued to smirk, practically intoxicated by her newfound confidence.

"Romeo's a stupid pervert. He goes after a thirteen year old. She's basically a child, and he becomes obsessed with her. And they barely know each other. Plus, he knows they can't be with her. What kind of an idiot chases after something they can't have?"

Antonio gulped a bit. For some reason, her previous words made his stomach flip.

"That's horrible!" one of the girls scolded. Antonio plastered a smile on his face again and shrugged.

"It's the truth chica. Lovi's right."

The girl's eyes narrowed a bit. "'Lovi?'" she questioned accusingly. Lovina slunk back in her chair. Now her confidence was slowly going down the crapper.

The bell rang before Antonio could justify himself. He cleared his throat a bit and placed his book on his desk. "No homework this weekend. Enjoy yourselves!" The boys whooped and cheered as they filed out. As usual, Lovina was the last one on her way out.

"You did great in class today" he cut in before she walked out the door. He gave her a smile, but of course she didn't return it. Antonio stopped smiling, however, when he saw that she wasn't just not smiling; she looked upset.

"Please don't call me 'Lovi' during class" she responded softly. Antonio tilted his head and gave her a worried look.

"Why not, Lovi?"

She winced when he used the nickname. Lovina stared at the ground before looking up again. She was smiling, but Antonio didn't like it. It wasn't happy. It was pained and trying to hide something.

"It's just another reason for them to dislike me" she mumbled.

Lovina dashed out before Antonio could question her further.

(-)

Feliciana nervously looked around for her sister. She was working extra hard today for some reason. Feliciana weaved between tables before finally finding Lovina finishing scribbling down an order.

She anxiously pulled her aside and stared at her feet. "We have a problem" she mumbled. Lovina put her hands on her hips and sighed.

"What happened?" Lovina asked quietly. Feliciana's bottom lip quivered as she threw her arms around Lovina's waist.

"Nonno's sick!" she cried into her sister's chest. Lovina groaned and pushed Feliciana's shoulders back.

"Where is he?"

Feliciana glanced away and hesitated. "…In the kitchen" she whimpered. Lovina's eyes flew open before narrowing as she became furious.

"Are you kidding me?!" she hissed as she stormed over to Roma. Lovina slammed the doors open and glared at him.

"Idiota, what are you doing?! You want a health code violation or something?!" she snapped. Roma scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

"Now bambina, it's just a cold. It's no big deal!" he tried to assure her. But Lovina wouldn't hear it.

"Get your ass upstairs right now and sleep" she ordered. "Feli, Heracles and I can handle things down here."

"But-"

"GO!"

Roma pouted and trudged upstairs, not wanting his headache to be worsened by his granddaughter's scolding. Lovina rubbed her temples and sighed.

"Feli, go tell Heracles to help take orders. You're going to have to be fast today, ok? No chit chatting."

Feliciana nodded and paused before walking out. "Why don't I call Luddy? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help" she suggested. Lovina rolled her eyes. Like she really wanted that potato bastard in her restaurant.

"Fine, but tell him not to screw up" she groaned before turning to the orders waiting to be filled. _He had to get sick on a Friday night_ she complained to herself as she looked over the first order.

Lovina worked quickly and cooked with every ounce of skill she had. She had secretly been practicing for awhile. She had always been good, but cooking was one of the only things she really took pride in.

After an hour, she was starting to get tired. They had never been this busy before. But Lovina pushed on; just glad they were getting business. Feliciana slowly crept into the kitchen and waited for a good time to interject.

"S-Sorella?"

Lovina sighed and wiped her forehead. "I'm a bit busy Feli. What is it?" she tried to say as nicely as possible. Feliciana cleared her throat and forced a smile.

"The customer at table three wants to see you" she whimpered. Lovina groaned and looked away from the sauce she was preparing.

"Feli, I don't have time for that!" she whined. Feliciana shrugged and shook her head. "H-He said it was important. It's about his order…"

Lovina narrowed her eyes and stepped away from the pot. "Feli, watch the sauce" she ordered before storming out. Some bastard didn't like her food? Tough shit.

Lovina wanted to scream obscenities when she saw Arthur smirking and waving her over. She quickly stomped over and glared at him.

"What the hell do you want, I'm busy!"

Arthur chuckled and rested his elbows on the table. Lovina's eyes widened when she saw the near empty plate in front of him. He had actually ordered real food?

"I was worried when my favorite little spitfire wasn't here to bring me my coffee. So when I found out you were in the kitchen, I just had to seize the opportunity."

Lovina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "And I must say I was not disappointed." Lovina groaned and gave him an exasperated look. "You called me out here to say 'congratulations, you're not that big of a fuck up'?!"

Arthur chuckled and bowed ever so slightly. "I wanted to say, my greatest and most honorable compliments to the chef."

Lovina scowled and shook her head. "Capo" she corrected. No one was allowed to speak a word of French in this establishment. "Screw the French" she added for good measure. Arthur cringed a bit and faced forward.

"Don't remind me" he mumbled dryly. Lovina decided not to dive further into his last comment and headed back to the kitchen. By the time she had returned, the orders were once again piling up.

This was going to be a long night.

**Casual FrUk reference? It's more like an 'oh god, why do I put myself through this' FrUk. Spoiler; they're not going to be a pairing. Sorry if they're your OTP…BUT THIS IS SPAMANO, SO WHO CARES.**


	5. Getting Into Character

Antonio looked at the stubborn student sitting in front of him and sighed. Lovina, of course, had her signature scowl aimed at him as she pushed the book in front of her away.

"I won't say it" she protested. Antonio rolled his eyes and groaned. "Lovina please, I want you to get through this" he begged. But Antonio knew begging and groveling hadn't been working and probably would never work on her.

"Can't we go back to talking about stupid teenage boys stumbling through the streets instead?" she huffed. Antonio noticed a hint of pink playing across her cheeks as she pouted. He shook his head and gave her a weary look.

"Lovina, we've already been through the Queen Mab speech. And it's not as important as this" he answered, pointing to the text in front of her. Lovina crossed her arms and turned her head away.

"I'm not going to say it" she sneered as she crossed her arms. There was no way in hell she was going down without a fight. Antonio rubbed his chin and stared at her before closing his own book. He noticed Lovina smirk a bit as she heard the soft thud of the papers coming into contact. But he wasn't going down without a fight either.

Antonio reached forward and pulled her hand from her folded arms while she looked away. Lovina snapped her head forward and was ready to cuss him out, but choked on her own words when she saw him staring at her. Antonio never took his eyes off of her as he pressed his palm to hers.

Lovina didn't know if she was angrier at him or angrier at herself. She should be ripping away and punching him in the balls, not staring like a complete idiot. That was his job!

And just when she thought things couldn't possibly get worse, he smiled. But it wasn't his usual, stupid grin. It was much more deliberate and had an element to it that Lovina couldn't recognize.

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:" he recited smoothly. Lovina froze. He wasn't even looking at the book! Lovina's breath hitched when his fingers wove their way between hers, allowing him to almost completely encase her hand in his. Lovina's was much smaller, and far more delicate, he noticed. He paused for a moment before squeezing it gently.

"My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

Lovina's lips parted as she blushed. Antonio let an amused smirk escape and uttered the softest chuckle. "What's the next line Lovina?" he asked gently, never breaking from his new demeanor. Lovina tried to slow her heartbeat as she glanced down at her book.

N-No! She couldn't let him win! Lovina glanced away and pouted. Antonio frowned a bit and brushed his thumb over her knuckles. "Say the line, Lovina" he ordered.

Lovina gulped and looked back down at the book. Why was she doing this?! "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this;" she hissed through gritted teeth. Lovina looked up from the page to her teacher, who was still watching her.

Antonio lightly tapped the page in front of her, urging her to continue. "For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." Antonio nodded and kept her hand in his.

"What is Juliet saying?" he asked slowly. Lovina scowled and crinkled her nose. "She should be saying 'you're annoying, leave me alone'" she retorted. Antonio silently grabbed her other hand and brought it to the other. He gently turned her hands and pressed her palms together, like in prayer.

"She's comparing lips meeting to palms meeting in prayer" he said softly. "What does this mean?"

Lovina pulled her hands away and stood. "Th-This is stupid!" she snapped. She quickly glanced at the clock and snatched up her bag. "And it's 4:30. I'm done here" Lovina added as she shoved her book into the bag. Antonio went back to his normal self and pouted.

"And-and I'm not coming anymore if you're going to act like that again" she stammered. Antonio stood and tilted his head.

"Like what?"

Lovina rolled her eyes. "I don't know, like…like you were Romeo" she responded, exasperated. Antonio chuckled and shrugged. "I _was_ Romeo" he replied casually. "And you were Juliet."

Lovina almost dropped her bag as her face felt hot. "I will never be your Juliet!" she snapped. Antonio's eyes widened a bit.

"I-I never said you were _my_ Juliet, Lovi" he nervously tried to correct. Lovina's face turned red when she realized her mistake.

"Well, well good!" she stuttered. "Because y-you're no Romeo to me!"

Antonio gulped and cautiously stepped forward. "Lovi, I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. I was only trying to get through to you" he explained quickly. Antonio gave her a small smile to try to lighten the mood. "And it would appear it worked. I got you to say the line!"

Lovina narrowed her eyes and turned away. "Yeah, well don't do it again!" she huffed. Antonio nodded shrank back.

"Of course. Please forgive me Lovina" he responded quietly. Lovina rolled her eyes and started walking toward the door. "Whatever" she mumbled under her breath as she exited the room. Lovina had started walking down the hallway when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Lovina, wait!"

Lovina whipped around and crossed her arms when Antonio caught up to her. "Your guardian, make sure he comes tomorrow" Antonio said quickly. Lovina tilted her head for a moment before smacking her palm to her forehead.

"Merda, I forgot about that! Does he have to come?"

Antonio nodded and gave her a sympathetic shrug. "Lo siento chica, it's mandatory." As a new teacher, Antonio was required to meet with at least one parent/guardian of each of his students since he had missed the conferences in the beginning of the year. He was looking forward to it almost as much as Lovina was.

Lovina just rolled her eyes and stormed away. She knew for a fact that tomorrow would be a trainwreck.

(-)

Roma trudged down the hallway with his granddaughters beside him. Feliciana trotted along happily, holding her sister's hand and swinging it back and forth. Roma smiled as he watched the two. Feliciana had always been the cheery one, but Lovina was something else. Lovina was her father's daughter while Feliciana was exactly like her mother, Roma's daughter. Lovina pouted a bit as they continued, annoyed at having to get up earlier than usual for the stupid meeting.

Lovina sighed. At least they were last on the roster so they didn't have to get up super early like Ludwig. But knowing that potato bastard, he probably enjoyed getting up at the butt-crack of dawn.

Lovina was not looking forward to one on one time with Mr. Carriedo. She didn't feel like dealing with him after the shit he pulled at their last remedial session. Lovina winced as Feliciana burst through their first period door.

"Buongiorno Signore Carriedo!" she beamed. Lovina rolled her eyes before stepping into the room with her grandfather. She scowled and looked away when she noticed his eyes lit up when he saw her. Roma noticed too.

"Good morning Lovina" he said with a smile. Lovina just nodded and avoided eye contact. Mr. Carriedo's smile faltered a bit as he turned to Roma and stuck out his hand. "I'm Antonio Carriedo. It is so nice to be meeting the guardian of two of my favorite students."

Roma smiled and shook it. Lovina smiled to herself when she saw her grandfather grip his hand a bit too tightly. She wiped the smile off her face when she saw Mr. Carriedo staring at her with a stupid grin. Roma cleared his throat and stepped in front of Lovina, blocking her from her teacher's view.

"Shall we get this over with?" he asked as he crossed his arms. Antonio nodded and indicated to the chairs in front of his desk as he sat down.

"So has this one been giving you trouble?" Roma asked accusingly as he nodded his head toward Lovina. Lovina glared at him and felt her face become hot. Mr. Carriedo furrowed his brows and leaned closer.

"N-No…Lovina is wonderful. She's probably the smartest one in the class. No offense, Feliciana."

Lovina's eyes widened as she stared at her teacher. He was smiling again, only this time it was more like the smile he was giving her yesterday. Feliciana giggled and shook her head.

"It's alright Mr. Carriedo! Lovi seems to really know what she's talking about in class!" she exclaimed. Mr. Carriedo chuckled and nodded before glancing back at Lovina.

"I really think our afterschool sessions helped, Mr. Vargas" he explained. "I know it may have seemed a bit drastic, but Lovi's really shown her true capabilities. She's so much more perceptive than her other classmates."

Roma narrowed his eyes a bit and tapped his foot a bit, bringing Mr. Carriedo's attention back to him. "You're the one who's been keeping her afterschool?" he questioned as he raised an eyebrow. Mr. Carriedo chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Si. I am sorry f I have inconvenienced you in any way-"

"How old are you?" Rome interrupted. "You seem a bit young to be a teacher. Especially for high school students."

Lovina narrowed her eyes and punched his shoulder. "Don't be rude" she scolded. Lovina didn't like the way her grandfather was addressing Mr. Carriedo. He sounded like he was trying to get at something Lovina really didn't care to uncover.

Mr. Carriedo and Roma continued to chat, but Lovina mostly tuned them out. She did, however, notice the quick glances Mr. Carriedo would send her way. Before she knew it, her grandfather was standing and once again shaking Mr. Carriedo's hand. Lovina remained silent as they said their goodbyes and glanced at the clock. Class would be starting soon and some of the other students had already started trickling in.

"Lovina, could I speak to you a moment?" Lovina quickly turned to her grandfather and nodded. He quietly led her into the hallway and pulled her aside.

Roma gave her a stern look and rubbed his chin. "I don't want you staying afterschool with him alone anymore" he finally said. Lovina tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

He couldn't make her refuse to spend time with Mr. Carriedo. She'd do whatever the hell she wanted to. N-Not that she wanted to be stuck in that room with her teacher or enjoyed spending time with him. It was her choice, damn it!

"Lovina, trust me. I've seen that look on a man's face before."

Lovina turned bright red and started heading back to the classroom. Roma quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "I'm serious Lovina" he warned quietly. Lovina just wanted to get away. People were starting to stare and this was a conversation she really didn't want to be overheard.

"He's helping me" she snapped. "And I don't want to look like such an idiot in front of everyone anymore. So if that means I can't slave around at that damn restaurant, then tough shit!"

Roma's glare softened as he loosened his grip. "Bambina, that's not what this is about" he said softly. Roma sighed and let her go. "We'll talk about this more this evening. Go to class." He said before turning around and heading for the main entrance.

Lovina rolled her eyes and headed to first period. Mr. Carriedo frowned as she stomped past him and plopped down into her seat. But before he could say anything to her, the bell rang.


	6. An Unexpected Call

Lovina tapped the eraser of her pencil against her lips and studied the question in front of her. Mr. Carriedo insisted that she take a practice midterm before the holiday break. So she had come after school to be tortured yet again. Lovina glanced up at her teacher, who was looking over some other papers. She watched him read and run his hand through his hair as he concentrated. Lovina couldn't help but stare as his eyes went back and forth across the paper he was holding. The way he stared at the words so deliberately and sincerely was intriguing.

Lovina had to admit, the man really cared about his students. Mr. Carriedo was always patient and offered as much help as he could without doing the work for them. Some kids hated the fact that he wouldn't spoon feed them the answers but Lovina knew it was because he was only looking out for them. He really was a great teacher. And kind, and caring, and smart, and handsome, and…

"Lovina?"

Lovina blinked and shook her head as she was pulled back into reality. Mr. Carriedo chuckled a little when she slunk back in her chair, unaware of her embarrassing thoughts. "Are you done?" he asked politely. Lovina looked down at the paper, bubbled in the last question, and quickly looked it over before standing and walking it over to her teacher's desk.

Mr. Carriedo smiled and took it from her hands, but not without letting his fingers graze hers. It was like an electric shock. Lovina flinched and prayed he hadn't noticed it too. Mr. Carriedo tilted his head and gave Lovina a quizzical stare. "Are you alright Lovina? You seem antsy today…"

Lovina quickly nodded and stepped back. "I-I'm fine" she mumbled before turning to grab her things. She packed up her bag and was ready to head out the door when she heard a small "oh" come from Mr. Carriedo.

"Lovina, I meant to ask you," he started. "Where do you want to go to school? Next year, I mean?" Lovina froze and felt her heartbeat rise. She hated this question. Lovina glanced down at her feet awkwardly as he waited for an answer.

"I'm, uh, not going to school next year" she responded quietly. Antonio's smile fell, but soon returned as he leaned back in his chair.

"So you're taking a gap year? I wish I had done that, I hear it's actually a pretty smart idea."

Lovina bit her lip and continued to keep her eyes on the ground. "Actually-"

Before Lovina could finish, Feliciana trotted in, grasping the arm of one of Lovina's least favorite people. "Look sorella!" she cheered as she pulled the man in. "I found big brother Francis!"

Lovina glared at Francis as he pouted and stepped forward. "Why do you never visit me anymore, chéri? You know my door is always open" he whined. Lovina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"One; how you are even qualified to work here is beyond me, two; I'd rather hang myself, and three; get the hell away from my sister Francis before I chop your arm off."

Antonio's jaw dropped. Sure Lovina had always been pretty forward, but to address a teacher like this? Antonio only grew more confused as Francis laughed.

"Ah, I have missed you, chéri" he sighed. "I envy you, Antonio" he added, turning his attention to Mr. Carriedo. "I would kill to see this belle dame every day" he cooed. "The last time you came to see me, Lovina, was for scheduling last year. As a counselor, I am supposed to be very, very close with my students" he finished with a wink.

"Shut up you stupid pervertito" Lovina snapped. Mr. Carriedo narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Lovina, stop being so rude" he scolded.

Lovina stared at him for a moment before chuckling. Mr. Carredio's heart nearly stopped when her chuckles turned into full blown laughter. It was even more amazing that her smile.

"This bastard's been tormenting me for years, along with that idiot Gilbert. I think I've earned the right to call him out for being disgusting" she snorted. Antonio smirked a bit and shook his head.

"Big brother Francis just wanted to be friends, sorella" Feliciana piped in. Lovina crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "'Friends' my ass. If I had a euro for every time this stronzo had pulled my hair or tried to smack me, I'd be the richest girl in the world" she scoffed.

Francis chuckled and draped his arm around her shoulder. "I'd be more than happy to do it again, chéri" he murmured suggestively. For some reason, Mr. Carriedo really didn't like what his friend was insinuating. But Lovina just rolled her eyes and shrugged Francis away like it was no big deal.

"When hell freezes over" she retorted. Mr. Carriedo cleared his throat and looked to Feliciana, desperate to talk about anything but the enraging subject at hand.

"Feliciana," he started. "Lovi and I were just talking about schools for after you graduate. Do you have any places in mind?"

Feliciana's usual cheery demeanor vanished. Instead she slumped over a bit and looked to her sister guiltily. Lovina gave her a small smile and sighed. Feliciana looked back to her teacher and nodded slowly. Francs shifted uncomfortably and stared out the window.

Mr. Carriedo was confused by everyone's behavior, but pushed on nonetheless. "Oh, have you applied anywhere?"

Feliciana once again looked to her sister, obviously upset. Lovina quickly came to her side and placed her arm around Feliciana's shoulders. "Yes. And she'll get into each and every one of them." She answered quickly. Feliciana just stared at the ground, unable to look at her sister. The silence that hung in the air created the heaviest and most uncomfortable atmosphere Mr. Carriedo had ever experienced.

"Are you done studying with Ludwig and Kiku?" Lovina asked her sister quietly. Feliciana nodded before glancing up at Lovina. Lovina just smiled and began to lead her out the door.

"Have a nice holiday Mr. Carriedo" Lovina called back before leaving with her sister. Mr. Carriedo nodded silently and waited until they were gone and out of earshot to turn to Francis.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, still trying to decipher the sudden change in mood. Francis sighed and shook his head.

"Universities are a touchy subject with those two" he answered quietly. "Their family can't afford to send the both of them to school."

Mr. Carriedo's eyes widened. If Feliciana was the one going, that meant…

"That's not fair!" he snapped. Francis faced Mr. Carriedo, a bit surprised by his friend's passion. "Lovina chose to let her sister go. She wouldn't let anyone convince her otherwise" he explained. Mr. Carriedo shook his head and stood.

"It's still not fair, she shouldn't have to make that sacrifice" he mumbled angrily. Francis shrugged and headed for the door. "I know, mon ami. But you know how stubborn she is" he sighed as he leaned against the door frame.

"But what if she wants to go out and study something she cares about?" Mr. Carriedo asked hotly.

"Culinary school" Francis answered simply. Mr. Carriedo gave him a puzzled look as Francis stood up straight. "When she was younger, at least, she wanted to go to Bologna" he explained before shrugging. "Whether or not that's still her dream, I'm not sure. But I know she could do it if she could afford it" he added before waltzing out

Mr. Carriedo quickly gathered his things and rushed to his car. He would find a way to make this happen for her.

(-)

Lovina groaned as she stared at the ceiling. Winter vacation was supposed to be fun, not boring. But alas, she was lying aimlessly on her bed, listening to cheesy old Christmas songs. She'd never admit it but she secretly loved them. Not the new ones, but the classics. Something about lamenting over the holidays was comforting to her. Lovina was currently listening to one of her favorites.

_I'll have a blue Christmas, without you…_

Lovina sighed and laid upside down on her bed. Usually, she loved the break. But this year, she felt too…she didn't even know how to describe it. It was like something was missing. She was still working her ass off for her idiot grandfather, and Feli was just as perky as usual. But something just wasn't right.

Lovina jumped a bit when the phone rang. She didn't bother to pick it up, but somebody else did. About a minute later, Feliciana walked into her room with an extremely perplexed look on her face.

"It's for you" she said quietly as she handed the phone off to her sister.

"Pronto, qui parla Lovina" Lovina said hesitantly into the phone.

"Wow Lovi, you should speak Italian more often; it's wonderful, chica!"

Lovina fell off of her bed and landed on the floor with a thud. "What the hell?!" she squeaked as she sat up. Antonio just laughed from the other end of line.

"Surprised, chica?" he chuckled. Lovina narrowed her eyes and gripped the phone tighter.

"How did you get this number?" she growled.

"Student contact information, of course! But that's not the point" he answered. "I need to see you."

Lovina turned bright red and nearly choked on the air around her. "I-I though the point of a break was-was to get away from you!" she stammered. Lovina curled up when she felt her sister's eyes on her.

"I understand, but this is important, trust me."

Lovina bit her lip and thought over her options. Her grandfather already didn't want her spending extra time with her teacher in school, so she was 999% positive going to see him outside of school was not going to fly. But she did really want an excuse to get out of the house. And it had felt like ages since she had seen Mr. Carriedo…

"When?" she asked quietly. She could practically see his stupid smile through the phone.

"As soon as possible. I'm in a small café, about a mile away from the school. It's got a green awning-"

I know which one you're talking about" Lovina interrupted. She'd passed by it at least a hundred times. Lovina glanced at the alarm clock on her dresser and stood.

"Good, so will I see you there?" Antonio asked eagerly. Lovina sighed and looked back at her sister.

"Yes" she mumbled as she opened her dresser. "Great, see you soon!" he replied cheerily. Lovina uttered a "whatever" and hung up so she could find something other than sweatpants to wear. Feliciana watched quietly as her sister settled on jeans and a sweater to go along with the cold weather. Lovina plopped onto her bed and sighed before reaching for her boots.

"If nonno asks, I'm going to grab a bite with Heracles" she told Feliciana softly. Feliciana bit her lip and looked away.

"You-you shouldn't lie to nonno…" she started quietly. Lovina stood and reached for her jacket. "I know" she sighed. "But this will be quick" Lovina promised.

"Why did Mr. Carriedo call for you?" Feliciana blurted after Lovina opened the window. Lovina glanced back at her sister and smirked.

"I guess I'll find out" she replied before slipping out the window and climbing down the fire escape.

**Pronto, qui parla Lovina: Hello, this is Lovina speaking (I had the translation wrong before, but updated it. Thank you guest for pointing it out! I am most certainly not fluent in Italian, so props to you. And don't worry, it's not a bitchy comment in any way.)**

**PS: Bologna is known for having some of the best food in all of Italy. That shit's fantastic.**


	7. A Christmas Miracle

Lovina shoved her hands in her pockets and scowled as she walked down the street. She had to park almost a mile away since the street was lined with cars within the shopping district. _Last minute shopping_ she figured. Why did it have to be so damn cold? Lovina shivered as the frigid air grazed her cheek. She was seriously regretting not bringing a scarf. At least she had found a hat in her car, so her ears were spared from the harsh cold. After a few minutes of walking, snow started gently falling from the sky. Lovina groaned a bit and picked up the pace. This better be fucking good.

Lovina quickly opened the door to the indicated meeting spot and let out a satisfied sigh when a wave of warm air hit her. She quickly scanned the room for the idiot that had called her out there. Her eyes finally landed on a man leaning over papers and typing something into a computer. She hesitantly walked over and cleared her throat. Her teacher quickly lifted his head and smiled like he hadn't seen her in years. And then that smile changed a bit when he saw how perfectly rosy her cheeks had become after walking in the cold.

"Lovina, I'm so glad to see you!" he exclaimed as he rose. Lovina drew back a little, surprised by his eagerness. "Mr. Carr-"

Antonio placed his hand on her shoulder to silence her as he pulled out a chair for her. "Please, we are not in school chica. You can call me Antonio" he said cheerily as she sat down. Lovina cocked an eyebrow and settled in her seat.

"Ok…Antonio…What on earth-"

"Can I get you some coffee?" 'Antonio' interrupted. Lovina rolled her eyes and smacked her palm to her forehead. "How about you tell me why I'm here" she answered, clearly annoyed. Antonio laughed and shook his head.

"In due time Lovi. But I insist you have something. You look freezing. Let me warm you up!"

Lovina turned bright red and let her jaw hang. Such an oblivious idiot.

"So how do you like your coffee Lovi?"

"B-Black" she stammered. Antonio nodded and headed for the counter. Lovina let out an exasperated sigh and rested her head on the table after shrugging off her jacket. This man was going to be the death of her. Lovina jolted when she felt her pocket vibrate. She quickly pulled out her phone and answered the call.

"Ciao?"

"Lovina, where are you?"

Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT. Lovina held in a gasp and calmed herself. "D-Didn't Feli tell you nonno? I'm with Heracles…." Lovina glanced back at Antonio to make sure he couldn't hear. The last thing she wanted was for him to know she had to sneak around in order to see him.

"Yes, but she didn't seem so sure of herself. Care to tell me what's going on?"

Lovina could tell he was losing patience. And Antonio was coming back.

"The-the truth is, I'm uh…on a date!" she quickly lied in Italian. "But, I-I didn't want Feli to tell you. So that's probably why she seemed nervous."

Lovina bit her lip when Antonio sat down in front of her, worried. Her grandfather was silent until she heard him laugh. She let out the breath she had been holding in and glanced at Antonio.

"Well what do you know? I didn't think the kid had it in him" he chortled, keeping with the shift in language. Antonio tilted his head as Lovina turned bright red and stammered something he couldn't understand into the phone. Lovina mumbled a quick "Ciao" and hung up the phone.

"Is everything alright?" he questioned hesitantly. Lovina just wearily nodded and sighed.

"That man is more infuriating than you" she grumbled before taking a sip of her coffee. "What do I owe you for this?" she added, setting the cup down. Antonio shook his head and reached for something beside his chair.

"My treat. But I really need to give this to you." Antonio pulled out a thick manila envelope and placed it in front of Lovina. The girl eyed the packet suspiciously and slowly reached for it. Antonio smiled and rested his chin on his hand while he watched her open the packet.

"What is this?" she asked quietly as she pulled out the papers. Antonio's smile widened as he sat up.

"Information on a full-ride scholarship to a culinary institute in Tuscany. I know it's not Bologna, but it's the best I could find."

Lovina's heart stopped. She paused only for a moment before snatching the papers out of the envelope and looking them over. This was more than just information. These were forms, applications, a recommendation, and instructions on how to apply. Hell, he even saved her a spot on the registry.

"How did you-"

"Francis told me…" he answered awkwardly.

"Where-"

"After I found out, I did a little research. It took awhile, but I finally dug this up and thought it'd be perfect for you."

Lovina stared at him, not knowing what to say. Antonio silently reveled over the fact that he had rendered her speechless.

"Why?"

Antonio leaned forward and smiled. "You work so hard Lovina. It's not fair for you to have to hold yourself back."

Lovina hesitated before setting the papers down and bowing her head. "I don't want your pity" she hissed, avoiding his eyes. Antonio let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.

"Then you won't get it. Lovina, I just want to help you-"

"But I never asked you to!" Antonio was a bit taken aback by how confused she was. She shouldn't have to ask for help she so desperately needed. It should be expected to have people come to her aid every once in awhile. Antonio could tell she was embarrassed by his act.

"Lovina, look at me."

The girl only turned her face away even more. Antonio sighed and reached across the small table to lift her chin. Lovina's breath hitched at the contact, but her eyes met his nonetheless.

"You don't have to do anything. Burn it, shred it, use it; it makes no difference to me." Antonio slowly pulled his hand away and sat back in his chair. "But you deserve the option. I can't get you in. I'm not giving you any guarantees. I'm simply giving you a chance."

Lovina was still speechless. She would never understand why this man was doing so much for her. That was the most infuriating thing about him. She had given him trouble from the start, yet here he was, offering her a better future than anyone else had. Lovina nodded and put the papers back in the envelope. Once she was done, she stared at her hands uncomfortably.

"Thank you" she finally mumbled. Antonio was surprised by her humility. She wasn't an arrogant person to begin with, but he had never seen her so timid before.

"There's no need to thank me. It's the least I could do."

Lovina avoided his gaze and stood, reaching for her coat. "I should be going. Feliciana is a bit concerned as to why a teacher asked me to meet him."

Antonio became a bit flustered and rose as well. Maybe he was being a bit forward….

Antonio cleared his throat and gathered his things up. "Let me walk you to your car" he stated as he put his coat on.

Lovina blushed and shook her head. She didn't want to be seen with him by any of her classmates, or teachers for that matter. "That's really not necessary!"

Antonio chuckled and ushered her out the door. "Don't be silly. Our cars are probably close anyways, considering how hard it was to find a close space" he reasoned. Lovina rolled her eyes and grumbled something incoherent before shoving her hands in her pockets. It was still so damn cold. And it was snowing. She could see both of their breaths as they walked side by side. Lovina shivered when a gust of cold air whipped her face.

Antonio frowned when he saw her shudder. He wordlessly removed his scarf and placed it around her neck. Lovina jolted a bit, not expecting the warm gesture.

"What are you doing?! You'll get cold!" she scolded. Antonio smiled and shrugged.

"You need it more than I do" he replied. Antonio smirked a bit and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "But thanks for being concerned, chica" he added with a wink.

Lovina turned bright red and glared at him. "Don't get the wrong idea, I don't care-"

Lovina's breath hitched when she stepped on a patch of ice and felt her feet sweep out from under her. Antonio quickly stepped behind her and caught her waist before she could hit the ground. Lovina took a moment to marvel at how strong his arms were as they were wrapped around her delicate frame.

"Are you alright Lovi?"

Lovina jolted when she felt his hot breath on her ear. "Y-Yes, now put me down!" she ordered. Antonio chuckled and gently set her down, away from the slippery surface.

"Why do you always seem to be falling around me?" he teased as she stumbled to find her balance. Lovina pouted and turned away to hide how red her face was before storming off. Antonio hurried to catch up with her.

"Lovi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend to" he chuckled as he fell into step with her. She was still flustered because of her clumsiness and his staring wasn't helping. Lovina stole an angry glance at him and rolled her eyes. Antonio smirked and took a step inward, closer to her.

"Don't be so sour Lovi" he whined as he poked her side. Lovina halfheartedly pushed him away.

"Don't be so immature Antonio" she retorted before digging into her pocket and pulling out her keys. Antonio sighed as she unlocked her car and open the door.

"Hey" she started with her back facing him. Antonio stepped closer, waiting for her to finish.

"Thank you. You've done more than you realize" she said quickly before stepping in and closing the door. Antonio stepped forward and tapped on the glass of the driver window. Lovina slowly rolled it down and gave him an exasperated look.

"Feliz Navidad!" he cheered happily. Lovina looked away a bit and smiled. Antonio swore he saw tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Boun Natale" she responded softly before turning on the engine and driving off. Antonio watched her go, still smiling and elated that he was able to make her smile.


	8. How To Say Grazie

Lovina walked through the front doors of the restaurant, clutching the envelope to her chest. She was still shocked by the whole exchange. But one thing really struck her as odd. It wasn't the fact that he had helped her and it wasn't the future he had ultimately offered her that stuck. It was the way he treated her. He didn't look down on her and she wasn't just another one of his students. They were two, normal people in that moment. Lovina decided that she wished it could be like that all the time.

Lovina shrugged off her coat and threw it over one of the nearby booths. Roma walked in from the stairs and smirked as he came closer. "There she is. Bambina, why would you keep this from me? Is it because he's an employee?" he teased. Lovina rolled her eyes when she remembered her lie.

Feliciana soon joined her grandfather and pranced forward before grabbing onto her sister's arm. "How did it go, sorella? What did Si-" Lovina clamped her hand over Feliciana's mouth and glared.

"My date with Heracles went fine" she hissed. Feliciana's eyes went wide as she suppressed a giggle. Even Lovina had to fight back an amused smile. Both were certain their dear little busboy preferred Japanese boys to Italian girls.

"But we both decided it won't work. We're too much like siblings" she added, facing her grandfather. Roma's smile fell and he crossed his arms.

"But bambina, I want you to have a nice boyfriend like other girls."

Lovina turned bright red and narrowed her eyes. "I don't need a boyfriend, idiota!" she snapped. "And aren't most grandfathers supposed to be threatening to chop off the cazzo of any boy their granddaughter brings home?"

Roma shrugged and smiled. "I am not most grandfathers, bambina" he chuckled. Lovina rolled her eyes once again and mumbled curses as she moved to brush past him. Roma tilted his head and blocked her way.

"What do you have there, Lovina?" he asked curiously. Lovina gulped and held the packet tighter. "N-Nothing, it's just something I left in my car awhile ago" she lied. Roma eyed her suspiciously and opened his mouth to speak.

"S-Sorella!" Feliciana interjected. Lovina had never loved her sister more. "Why don't you tell me more about Heracles!" she said nervously. But Roma didn't look like he would budge.

"Girl talk!" she added in a final attempt to save her sister. Roma spun on his heel and waltzed into the kitchen.

"Have fun, I don't want to know anything" he said quickly. Lovina smirked and rushed up the stairs. Feliciana followed Lovina into her room and closed the door behind her. "Tell me everything" she commanded.

Lovina gently set the packet on her bed and plopped down beside it. Feliciana sat on the floor in front of her eagerly. Lovina was a little amused by her sister's behavior. She had never received this kind of attention from her before.

"We met up and had coffee. And talked…" Lovina answered half-heartedly, still thinking about the scholarship information she had given her. Feliciana watched her stare at the envelope on the bed before scooting closer and scooping it up herself.

"What's this? She asked as she pulled the papers out. Lovina smiled a bit and brought her knees to her chest, resting her cheek over a knee.

"Antonio gave it to me" she sighed as she leaned back. Feliciana looked up from the papers and gave her sister a quizzical stare. "Antonio?" she questioned.

Lovina turned a lovely shade of red and sat up straight. "I, uh…th-that's just what he said to call him! God Feli, stop being nosy" she snapped before burying her face in her pillow out of embarrassment. Lovina scowled when she heard Feliciana giggle.

"Wow sorella! I guess you really are his favorite!" she cheered. Lovina hesitantly lifted her head and stared at her sister. "What?"

Feliciana smiled and set the packet down. "I heard some others say something about it in school one day. They said you were his favorite because you spent so much 'special' time with him."

Lovina's chest felt heavy when she sat up. "Feliciana, what else did they say?" she asked quietly. Feliciana tilted her head as she tried to remember.

"Um, one girl said she thought you were the last girl he'd pick, and one of the boys asked if you were getting extra credit out of it."

Lovina swallowed a lump in her throat. She hated high school so much. "Is that all?" she whispered. Feliciana nodded as her smile fell. "Then Gilbert came over. He looked really upset. He yelled at them a lot for some reason. I've never seen him so mad before. He also looked really sad. It was weird."

Lovina just nodded and stared off. She knew her classmates didn't particularly like her, but really? Gossiping about how she spent her time with her teacher? That was a low she didn't know the little shits were capable of. Lovina also wasn't sure if Gilbert stepping in helped or made things worse.

Lovina brought her attention to her sister when the latter cleared her throat. "I said, did you thank him?" Feliciana repeated. Lovina shrugged and laid back. "I tried to, but he wouldn't listen" she sighed. Feliciana frowned and sat up on her knees.

"Well you have to do something!" she scolded. Lovina looked away to hide her worried expression. She had a feeling 'doing something for Mr. Carriedo' would be interpreted the wrong way by some, based on Feliciana's observations.

"I know" she groaned. Feliciana smirked a bit and rested her chin on the bed. "You could do your homework and pay attention" she teased. Lovina pouted and smacked Feliciana with her pillow.

"I've already been doing that, idiota" she hissed as her sister fell to the floor. Feliciana laughed and sat back up.

"I'm sure you'll think of something. But it has to be from the heart, si?" she replied. Lovina rolled her eyes and laid back down.

"That is the most disgustingly cheesy thing I have ever heard" she scoffed. Feliciana shook her head and smiled as she stood and headed for the door.

"But it's true! I'm not worried though, I know you'll think of something!" she said before walking out. Lovina stared at the ceiling and sighed.

"Stupid bastard."

(-)

Lovina quickly walked across the street to the apartment building. She ran through her plan in her head as she walked inside. Give it to Francis, get the hell out, give it to Francis, get the hell out. Simple and she didn't have to see Anto-Mr. Carriedo herself. Lovina clutched her bag closer and walked up the stairs. Though she had refused to admit it, Lovina really had put thought into a way to thank her teacher. She figured she'd just give it to Francis to hand off to the idiot. The perfect plan.

Lovina scanned the doors in the hallway, looking for Francis's place. She silently cursed herself for knowing where he lived. In her defense, Gilbert used to live with him and Ludwig spent a bunch of time there, so Feliciana spent time there, and in turn Lovina spent time there. She hated how everyone in her life seemed connected. That made it harder to avoid people, something Lovina worked extra hard to do.

Lovina stopped when she found the door she was looking for and hesitantly knocked on the wood. She immediately regretted her decision to come. Two seconds passed, so that obviously meant no one was home. Oh well, that's life.

Before she could turn, the door opened. Lovina's eyes widened as she stepped back. Abort, Abort Abort!

Lovina could proudly say this is the only time she truly wished to see Francis before her. Never before had she preferred obnoxious blonde hair and a smug grin to messy brown hair and bright green eyes.

Antonio gave Lovina the most perplexed look she had ever seen. "W-What are you doing here?!" she snapped. Antonio tilted his head and crossed his arms. "I live here…so what are _you _doing here, Lovi?" he asked slowly. Lovina's cheeks became bright red as she stammered and tried to form a response.

"N-No you don't! Francis does!" she shot back. Antonio paused for a moment before letting an amused smile escape his lips.

"Well, I do too" he chuckled. Before Lovina could come up with a snarky response, Francis had meandered over. The Frenchman smirked and shoved Antonio out of the doorway as soon as he saw Lovina.

"So you have decided to visit me after all" he cooed. "I meant for you to come see me in my office, but I have no objections to a more personal session, chéri" he added as he gingerly cupped her cheek. Lovina rolled her eyes and smacked his hand away.

"Knock it off stronzo" she hissed. Francis just chucked and stepped back, motioning for her to enter. "Where are my manners, please come in" Francis said smugly. Lovina glared and hesitantly stomped in. Antonio was still completely confused as to why Lovina was here.

"Belle dame, have a seat, make yourself at home" Francis replied coolly as she sat down and he walked into the kitchen. "Can I get you anything? I have Serpico, I know it's your favorite" he called as he pulled out a bottle of wine. Antonio stormed over and gave Francis a disappointed look.

"Francis, you cannot give her wine!" he snapped. Poor Antonio was still utterly perplexed by the whole situation. What kind of a teenager just unexpectedly shows up at a grown man's home and pours herself a glass of wine? Antonio stared as she came into the kitchen and bickered with Francis. Besides being annoyed, Lovina was unaffected by Francis's blatant advances and just brushed him off. It was so natural, like they had been doing this for years.

Then Antonio realized they probably had been doing this for years. Antonio had never met anyone so comfortable around company that was clearly not age appropriate. Antonio proceeded to snap at Francis again when the latter tried to fill the girl's glass again, only to be assured it was legal, followed by a smug comment about more than one thing being legal about her.

Lovina smacked Francis (rightly so) and wandered over to the couch. "Chéri, are you going to get around to telling me why you have come today?" Francis finally asked as he sat beside her. Antonio hung back and watched, still unsure of how _he _was supposed to act. He certainly didn't want to cross any boundaries. Francis seemed to have established a pretty clear relationship with her consisting of meaningless flirting and offhanded remarks. It almost made Antonio jealous. He wished he could just fit into a natural rhythm with Lovina like his friend.

Lovina blushed a bit when Francis asked her the obvious question. Oh, now she's uncomfortable.

"I wasn't here for you idiota. I was going to give you something to, to give to him" she responded quietly. Antonio tilted his head and stared at Lovina. Him? Him? Antonio's eyes widened when he realized she was looking right at him. _Oh shit, that's me._

Antonio stepped forward and smiled a bit. "Well, you could cut out the middleman…" he suggested hesitantly. Lovina turned away and nodded. Francis cleared his throat a bit and stood.

"I think I'll go…open another bottle…oui?" he stated awkwardly before shuffling out. Antonio slowly walked over and took Francis's spot beside Lovina. He smirked when she stared at the ground. God she was so flustered. It was adorable! Sometimes he forgot how coy she could be.

"So you said there was something you wanted to give me?" Antonio asked cautiously. Lovina nodded and wordlessly reached into her bag she had set down beside her.

**HAHA, YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE WHAT SHE DID FOR HIM. I'm awful, I know.**


	9. A Gift In Two Parts

Antonio leaned back and smiled when he saw Lovina's face turning red. She slowly pulled out what appeared to be a small thermos from her bag and clutched it anxiously.

"L-Look, I didn't know what else to do" she mumbled before holding it out to him. Antonio smiled and gently took it from her small hands. Lovina immediately turned away when she saw him unscrewing the cap, fearful of his reaction.

Antonio's eyes widened when he looked inside. It didn't just look absolutely amazing; it smelled absolutely heavenly. It was clearly pasta with a thick layer of tomato sauce, made entirely from scratch. Antonio couldn't wait to dive in.

"Lovina, you didn't have to do this-"

"Y-Yes I did" she interrupted. "I…I'm going to try. I want to make this happen" she sighed. A small, wonderful smile played at the corner of her lips. "I figured you deserved the chance to sample what will hopefully be more to come" she added softly.

Antonio didn't know what to say. He could tell she worked hard to make this. And he had no doubt in his mind she would try hard to reach her goal. God, he was so proud of her. Antonio had never come across anyone like Lovina. He was so happy he had taken the time to reach out to her. He couldn't imagine her just sitting in the corner like she did before he had gotten to know her. That didn't do Lovina justice.

"You're amazing, amada" Antonio finally blurted. Lovina's head snapped up. Even Francis, who was supposed to be minding his own business, poked out from the kitchen.

First of all, no one had ever just handed a compliment like that out to Lovina before. Second, she had no idea what the fuck 'amada' meant.

"A-Ama-what?" she stuttered. Antonio chuckled nervously and set his gift down. "N-Nothing bellez- um Lovina" he stammered back. Lovina cast him a suspicious glance before looking out the window and grabbing her bag.

"It's late, I have to go" she mumbled before standing up. Antonio stood with her and went to grab his jacket.

"Let me walk you out" he politely offered. Lovina tried to hide the red creeping onto her cheeks and shook her head. "D-Don't be ridiculous, you don't need to" she huffed before walking past him. Antonio caught up and followed beside her.

"But I insist" he replied before opening the door for her. Lovina rolled her eyes and headed out, with Antonio close behind.

Francis quickly leaned against the doorway and smirked. "Hey Lovina, give Arthur my love" he called to her smugly. Lovina cringed and shoved her hands in her pockets. "Yeah, right after I puke in his coffee" she shot back. Antonio tilted his head and stared at Lovina.

"Uh, who is Arthur?" he asked hesitantly. Lovina sighed and started going down the stairs. "You don't wanna know" she mumbled. Antonio shrugged and followed along as they went out into the freezing night air.

"Hey, where's Gil?" Lovina asked quietly. Antonio smiled and chuckled."Why do you ask?" he teased. Lovina rolled her eyes and pointed back at Francis's apartment.

"Because thing one and thing two are almost always together" she retorted. Antonio laughed and looked back at the girl beside him.

"I think he went out to get some drinks with the music teacher and his fiancé" he responded cheerily. Lovina stopped dead in her tracks.

"You let him go out with Roderich and Liz?!" she snapped. Antonio slowly nodded, surprised by her sudden reaction. Lovina threw her head back and groaned.

"Looks like I'm getting a drunken call in the middle of the night" she whined. Antonio's eyes widened.

"E-Excuse me?!" He stammered. Why in god's name would a girl like Lovina be getting those kinds of calls?! Lovina just shook her head and continued walking.

"Whenever he goes out with those two, he gets upset, gets a hold on a phone and decides to call me to pour out his feelings like a junior high girl" she responded dryly. Antonio blinked and the stared at the ground.

"So you know about Elizaveta" he mumbled guiltily. Lovina nodded.

"The stupid bastard only does it to himself. I try to tell him to stop putting himself through this but he doesn't listen" she mumbled as she kicked a piece of trash in her way.

"But you have to feel bad for him" Antonio continued. He smirked to himself a bit as they continued. Never in a million years did he think he'd be discussing the love life of his best friend with the girl currently trudging beside him.

Lovina nodded passively before spotting her car. Antonio noticed her tense up as they approached the vehicle. He waited for her to unlock it when she turned to face the door, but she paused and let out a frustrated groan.

"Is everything alright?" Antonio asked, confused. Lovina slowly turned around. Antonio had to suppress a giggle; she was bright red! Lovina shuffled her feet and stared at the ground like it held the secret to the meaning of life.

"Th-There was something else…to 'give' you…" she mumbled. Antonio smiled and stepped forward, which only made Lovina blush harder. "It was Feli's idea, n-not mine!" she stammered. Lovina sighed and covered her face with her hands.

Antonio chuckled and gently grabbed her wrists, taking her hands away to reveal her scarlet face. "Lovi, nothing you give me could ever be 'stupid'" he assured her before letting go. Lovina kept her gaze on the ground and opened her mouth to speak.

"Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face, else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek."

Antonio decided he was the happiest person alive.

"F-For That which thou hast heard me speak to-night Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny What I have spoke: but farewell compliment! Dost thou love me?"

Lovina glanced up, entirely unsure of herself. Antonio's blank expression wasn't helping. But Lovina continued on. She spent an hour memorizing the goddamn speech, and her efforts were not going to be wasted.

"I know thou wilt say 'Ay,' and I will take thy word: yet if thou swear'st, thou mayst prove false; at lovers' perjuries. Then say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo, if thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully: or if thou think'st I am too quickly won, I-I'll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, so thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world. In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond."

Lovina once again looked to Antonio for some indication that she was doing something right, but she couldn't read the expression on his face. He was so quiet and he almost looked…worried? Scared?

"And therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light: But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true  
than those that have more cunning to be strange. I should have been more strange, I must confess,  
but that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware, my true love's passion: therefore pardon me, and not impute this yielding to light love, which the dark night hath so discovered."

Lovina stood and waited for some kind of response. But Antonio just blinked and looked away. Lovina felt her heart break a little. She wanted to prove she really had been listening and trying for him. Maybe she was being too expectant. She probably bored him to death.

Lovina frowned and turned away. "S-Sorry…" she mumbled as she fumbled with her keys. Her breath hitched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Lovina was slowly turned around by Antonio, who just stared at her. Now Lovina was really confused.

Antonio's hand slowly moved up to cup her cheek. Lovina noticed it felt strangely warm around her. Not in an uncomfortable way, just in a new way that she wasn't sure of. Antonio quickly pulled his hand away and stepped back. After a moment, he let a small. sad smile escape his lips.

"That was great Lovi, it means a lot to me" he finally muttered. Lovina watched his cloud of breath pour out of his mouth as he sighed.

"I will see you next week" he added softly. Lovina just nodded and got into her car without another word. It didn't feel warm anymore.

(-)

Antonio silently walked back into the apartment. Without speaking a word to Francis, he grabbed a fork from the kitchen, grabbed the thermos off of the coffee table, and went into his room. After shrugging off his jacket, he sat at his desk and took in the first forkful. Damn, this was good.

_Of course it is, Lovi made it._

Antonio shook his head and set his gift down before leaning back and running his hands through his hair. Francis cautiously opened the door and leaned against the door frame.

"Is everything alright mon ami?" he asked quietly. Antonio just chuckled and stared off.

"I'm just so careless."


	10. What We Can't Have

Gilbert was sure of two things. One, he hated Roderich Edelstein. He hated everything about him. His hair, his eyes, his clothes, his attitude, and worst of all, that smug smile that reeked of condescension. Two, Elizaveta deserved so much more than him. She deserved someone who drank with her, laughed with her, rough-housed with her like the good ol' days. Not someone who thought it was their duty to tame her. Elizaveta was never meant to be tamed.

But here she was, only ordering one drink when she wanted more. Elizaveta wanted to have fun like she used to. But Roderich wouldn't approve. Gilbert watched her slowly sip her beer and listen to her fiancée. How a girl like her ever came to believe a man like Roderich knew what was right for her was beyond him. Gilbert remembered he was supposed to be having a conversation and tore his gaze away before chiming back in.

God, he missed Elizaveta. No, he missed Liz. The girl that played in the mud and ran in the rain. The girl that knew how to beat down a grown man and had drinking contests. Gilbert nodded along as he listened to the couple in front of him. He thought about where he went wrong and how he lost her. Then he wondered if she was his to lose in the first place.

"Roddy, how about a game of billiards?" Elizaveta asked cheerily. Gilbert smiled a bit when he saw the glint of competitiveness in her green eyes. Roderich shook his head and frowned. "I'll pass thank you" he answered quickly. Gilbert wanted to punch him in the face when he saw Elizaveta's smile fell.

"I'll play you Liz, just be ready to have your ass handed to you by the awesome me" Gilbert snickered. Elizaveta smirked and stood.

"You're on Beilschmidt. Just don't get to cocky" she scoffed. Gilbert laughed and followed her over the table, but not before noticing Roderich ever so subtly roll his eyes. Gilbert hid his scowl as Elizaveta set up the table.

"I won't hold back just because you're a girl" Gilbert smirked as he grabbed a stick. Elizaveta let out an amused chuckle and tilted her head.

"Neither will I" she responded sweetly. Gilbert clutched his chest and staggered back in mock pain. "Not awesome Liz" he whined. Elizaveta chuckled and shot first, sinking a solid ball. The two played and bickered back and forth until they were dead even with only the eight ball remaining. Gilbert bent down to take his turn but stopped and glanced over at Roderich. The man wasn't paying attention and didn't even pretend to be interested in what the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with was doing.

"Is everything alright Gil?" Elizaveta asked hesitantly. Gilbert stood up straight and sighed. "I still don't get it Liz" he responded quietly, eyes locked on the ground. Gilbert clenched his fist around the stick before looking back up at her. "Why him?"

Elizaveta sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Gilbert I'm not talking about this right now" she warned. Gilbert narrowed his eyes and stepped closer.

"You never want to talk about it Liz. Is it because he's here? If so, your worries are in vain, he's not even paying attention!" Elizaveta stole a glance across the room and looked away quickly.

"Gilbert, it's simple. I love him. And that won't change, even if you don't like him" she answered quietly.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that" Gilbert hissed. Elizaveta kept her eyes fixed on the ground. Gilbert shook his head in disbelief. "Why are you doing this-"

"I'm trying Gil!" Elizaveta snapped. "I'm trying so hard with him, and you know what?! It's not easy! He can be hard to please, but he chose me!"

"Is that your only standard Elizaveta?!" Gilbert growled. "You're better than that! What has he done to please you?! What changes has he made for you?!"

Elizaveta's mouth snapped shut. "That's what I thought" Gilbert mumbled bitterly.

"Why do you do this to me?" Elizaveta whimpered. "Gilbert, you're my best friend and I just want you to support me. But all you do is come and make me feel like shit."

Gilbert gulped and looked away. "I want what's best for you Liz" he replied softly. "I can't sit back and watch you throw everything you know away for him. It's not fair."

"When you love someone, you'll do whatever it takes to make them happy" she mumbled back. Gilbert snapped inside. If that was true, why wasn't her fiancée bending over backwards for her like he should?

"Why do you think I want to do everything for you?!" he croaked. Elizaveta's head snapped up. They'd bicker over this topic sometimes, but it had never gone this far. And he'd never gotten this upset. And he'd never said…

"Gil…" she muttered, wide eyed. But Gilbert wasn't about to stop there.

"Do you know what it's like to have your entire world, the reason you want to wake up in the morning, slave over someone who will never love her as much as you do?!"

Elizaveta let her jaw hang a bit as Gilbert ran his hand through his silvery hair. "Do you?" he choked out. After a moment of silence, Gilbert chuckled and shook his head.

"Look what you've done to me Liz. I've turned soft. Not awesome." He mumbled before shoving his hands in his pockets. "Do what you want. Just promise me you'll be happy."

Without another word, Gilbert turned on his heel and headed out the door to find another bar.

(-)

Lovina couldn't sleep. She craved that strange sensation before she had left Antonio. She wasn't even sure she had liked it, but she had to feel it again.

Even after she drove away, her skin still tingled where he had touched her cheek. It was such a simple gesture, but she couldn't decipher it.

Lovina groaned when she heard the phone ring. Thank god Feli and grandpa slept like rocks, because she wasn't too keen on either of them discovering who was on the other end. Lovina stumbled in the dark before finally reaching and answering the phone.

"Hi Gil" she sighed as she sat back down.

"Lovi! My favorite girl in the entire world! God, I can always count on you. You're great, you know that?"

Lovina rolled her eyes and laid down. "Yeah, whatever" she yawned. Over the years, Lovina had differentiated three different levels of intoxication with Gilbert. Level one was tipsy. He'd call, have a depressing conversation with a few slurred words here and there, but there was nothing to crazy. Level two was just plain drunk. Blabbering, whining cheering, crying, laughing, yelling, every emotion was present throughout the conversation.

But Lovina really hated level three; hammered. Gilbert would get needy and lose his filter, which made Lovina a bit uncomfortable at times. But that wasn't even the worse part. Gilbert would realize what he was doing and feel terrible, making Lovina feel terrible, and then there would be awkward apologies the next morning. Level three wasn't fun for anyone.

Tonight was definitely level two.

"I just don't get it. I'll never get it. Do you get it?"

"No Gil. Nobody gets it" Lovina responded half heartedly.

"I don't understand. Why is she like this…"

Lovina sat up when she heard silence on the other end. The only thing Gilbert didn't do during these chats was stay quiet. "Gilbert?" Lovina called hesitantly.

"I told her."

Lovina's breath hitched. She never in a million years ever thought he would actually have the balls to really say how he felt. "What did she say?"

Lovina winched when she heard a dry laugh.

"She didn't say anything. So unawesome…"

Lovina felt truly sorry for Gilbert. He acted like an ass all the time, but she knew he was a good person who deserved to be loved back just like anyone else.

"Do you know what it's like to want something you can't have Lov?"

Lovina thought for a moment. She wanted that feeling again. She wanted to have coffee with Antonio and recite Shakespeare with him and let him catch her when she fell and cook for him every day, but she sure as hell couldn't have that.

"I think so" she responded softly. Lovina heard a loud sigh come from Gilbert.

"Lov, do you want to come over?"

Level three.

"Gilbert…" she softly scolded.

"God fucking damnit!" she heard him snap. "I'm a piece of shit Lovina. I'm a worthless piece of shit and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I do this to you and I'm sorry I take it too far. You know I never mean too. I'm not like that, please tell me you know that" he begged.

"I know" she responded immediately.

"I'm going to hang up now" Gilbert whispered.

"Please go to bed. Sleep this off for god's sake, ass wipe" she sighed. Lovina was glad to hear a soft chuckle.

"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."


	11. A Whale Is Hard To Ignore

Lovina was kind of glad to be returning to her classes. She loved break and she loved sleeping in even more, but two weeks was too much time to only be seeing her sister and grandfather. But then again, they certainly weren't the only people she saw over the holiday.

That was why her stomach was in knots as she walked down the hallways with Feliciana to her first period. Lovina couldn't shake Antonio's strange goodbye from her mind. She felt nervous just thinking about it.

Lovina tuned out her sister and her potato-bastard boyfriend. Feliciana was happily chatting and swinging his hand, so Lovina really felt she didn't have to contribute to the conversation. She might barf if she had to talk to Ludwig.

Lovina slowed a little as they reached the classroom. Damn her stupid chest for feeling all weird. Lovina held her head high as she followed Feliciana and Ludwig in. Anto-Mr. Carriedo was already sitting at his desk when they entered and gave the two idiot lovebirds a warm smile. Lovina felt her heart sink when his smile faltered ever so slightly and even more when he glanced away as she walked by. Usually, his smile was brighter when she was around.

Lovina scowled and rolled her eyes. She was being arrogant; of course she didn't have any effect on him. He was idiotically happy toward everyone.

Lovina stopped and narrowed her eyes when she saw a girl she hated sitting at her desk. The she glanced at the board and groaned. New seats. And Oh joy, Lovina was at the front of the class.

Lovina slumped into her chair before realizing new faces sat on either side of her. The first she saw was a weird looking guy who kept his hood on, covering most of the top half of his face. Lovina shrugged and turned to the girl on the other side, who was already facing her.

"Hi, I'm Bella!" she greeted eagerly. Lovina leaned away a bit and rolled her eyes. "Lovina" she mumbled back. Bella obviously didn't get the message that Lovina really wasn't in the mood and leaned closer.

"Um, I'm new and I don't really know anyone…would you mind, ya know…being friends?" Lovina sat up straight. No one had ever actually wanted to be friends with her. Except maybe Heracles, but they were mostly acquaintances. And there was also Antonio…

Lovina blushed to herself and frowned. He wasn't her friend, why would he even want to be? He was a teacher for god's sake. Bella politely cleared her throat when Lovina didn't answer.

"F-Friends?" Lovina stuttered. Bella chuckled and nodded. "It'd be nice to get to know someone that doesn't seem like a complete idiot" she smirked as she motioned toward a group of girls giggling in the corner.

Lovina decided she could definitely be this girl's friend.

"Sure" she finally answered with a small smile. Lovina glanced up at her teacher, who had stopped what he was doing to stare. Mr. Carriedo quickly looked back down at the papers in front of him when he had been caught.

"Would you mind looking at my schedule?" Bella asked, drawing Lovina's attention away from Mr. Carriedo. She nodded and took the paper from Bella to scan it over. They had a few classes together; English of course, World History, Physics, Econ, and Calculus. Bella, however, was taking art and Spanish while Lovina was taking voice and Italian (so what if she was already fluent? It meant she got an A).

"Spanish, huh?" Lovina thought out loud. Mr. Carriedo said some things to her in Spanish before, and the words that she didn't know kept bugging her.

"Mhm. I've been speaking it for awhile, so I'm just trying to keep my GPA up" Bella answered. Lovina gulped and let her eyes flicker to Mr. Carriedo for a brief moment.

"What does 'amada' mean?" Lovina asked quietly. Bella smirked and propped her chin up on her fist. "It means-"

"Bella!" Mr. Carriedo interjected quickly. Both girls looked up at him as he glanced between them. "I see you've met Lovina. I made sure you sat next to someone that could help you get caught up" he finished.

Lovina tilted her head and shot Mr. Carriedo a confused look. He just smiled and chuckled. "I know you can help her, Lovi" he said. "You're very smart" he added a bit more quietly. Lovina just nodded and stared at her desk. Her face felt hot and she didn't like it.

Mr. Carriedo looked up at the others after the bell rang. "Welcome back estudiantes. I hope you enjoyed your time off. I know I did."

Lovina cursed to herself when his last statement made her stomach flip. "I hope you finished the play like I asked you to. Midterms are approaching and I want all of you to do your very best."

Bella looked away coyly and sighed. She was pretty damn behind. Lovina nudged the girl's foot with her own to get her attention before mouthing "I'll help you". Bella smiled brightly and nodded, extremely grateful to have a nice girl on her side from the start. Mr. Carriedo quickly passed out review sheets and asked the class to work on them in pairs.

Lovina immediately scooted her desk over to Bella's and began to go over all they had learned in the first semester. Bella followed along and listened carefully. She was about to ask to use the restroom, but stopped when she picked her head up and found her new teacher looking at Lovina with the most adoring gaze she had ever seen.

(-)

Lovina walked down the hall with her new friend after the final bell, eager to show the girl her secret to success in English. Bella chit chatted and got to know Lovina more as they walked back to Mr. Carriedo's classroom. Technically, this was supposed to be their one-on-one time, but Lovina didn't think he'd mind if she brought along someone who needed help more than she did.

Lovina poked her head in and saw Mr. Carriedo concentrating intently on something he was writing on the board. She stared a bit as he stepped back and ran his hand through his curly brown hair, letting out a shallow sigh with a small smile gracing his lips. Lovina slowly stepped in and silently stood beside him.

He had mapped out everything he had taught in the last three months along with some of the material their previous teacher had skimmed over. It was actually pretty impressive; every bit of information was displayed in an organized way that also connected everything together. He had clearly put some thought into it.

Mr. Carriedo smirked a bit as he glanced at Lovina. "Think this will help your classmates?" he asked, genuinely interested in her opinion. Lovina nodded and waved Bella over.

"I brought her with me today. I figured you could help her too" she said before walking over to a desk and setting her things down. Mr. Carriedo gave Bella a warm smile and nodded. Lovina would be lying if she said she didn't feel a twinge of jealousy. He hadn't smiled like that for Lovina this morning…

"Of course, I would be more than happy to" he beamed. Bella thanked him before arranging her desk so that she sat across from Lovina. She listened and took down notes as Lovina and Mr. Carriedo dove into the material right away.

Bella soon realized she had learned more from just observing them than she had in any other classroom. It was amazing, the way they worked through the material together, completing each other's thoughts, finding things the other had missed. It was like a dance; when one moved the other followed. When one stumbled, the other supported. Connections, analysis, criticisms: all made in step and in rhythm between the two with everything from poems to the main piece of literature, Romeo and Juliet. Lovina and Mr. Carriedo both regularly asked Bella questions to make sure she was benefitting as well. Bella answered yes every time, just wanting to get back to watching them.

She couldn't help but be intrigued by the way Lovina's eyes followed Mr. Carriedo as he paced around the room. Or the way Mr. Carriedo read over Lovina's shoulder, leaning one arm on the back of her chair and using the other to follow along. Bella quickly absorbed the information before glancing at the clock.

"It's 4:30" she said before putting her notebook in her bag. Mr. Carriedo nodded and smiled as he moved from behind Lovina. "Thank you so much, this really helped a lot" she added earnestly.

Antonio leaned against his own desk and chuckled. "That's why I'm here, Bella" he replied.

"No really; I mean it" Bella praised. "You and Lovina work so well together" she added quickly. Antonio stiffened a bit and glanced at Lovina, who hadn't noticed the last comment. Antonio just nodded slowly in agreement as Bella headed toward the door.

"Well I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Carriedo" she called back when she reached the door. Bella paused before she trotted out and looked over her shoulder.

"By the way, Lovina. I never answered your question this morning. It means 'beloved'."

Lovina dropped the book in her hand. She quickly looked up to tell her new friend she must be wrong, she must be mistaken, or she must not have heard her correctly, but the girl was already gone. So instead she was left with the source of the word that felt like taboo.

Antonio cleared his throat and stared at the ground. "I-It was very kind of you to take Bella under your wing" he muttered weakly. Lovina nodded, more than happy to try to ignore the elephant in the room. Who was she kidding, this wasn't an elephant. This was a fucking whale.

The fact that he never denied anything sent Lovina's mind spinning. She knew he wasn't oblivious to what Bella was referencing. "I'm glad you've made a friend" he added a bit more confidently. Lovina rolled her eyes and picked up the book she had let fall to the floor.

"You make it sound like I'm and anti-social 5 year old" she grumbled. Antonio let out a small chuckle and stood up straight, sticking his hands in his pocket.

"That's not what I meant. I'm just happy to see you've finally found someone you can relate too."

Lovina smirked a little and moved her bag onto her shoulders. "I already had someone" she mumbled to herself.

"Who?"

Lovina's breath hitched. She hadn't meant for him to hear that. Lovina became increasingly uncomfortable under his stare. Lovina bit her lip and tried to control her heartbeat.

"You" she answered quietly. Antonio's lips parted when the word hit him. Both glanced away and stared at the floor as the seconds ticked by.

"I have to leave" Lovina stated quietly, though it sounded like a roar compared to the heavy silence looming in the room. Antonio just nodded and kept his head down while she walked out. He slowly unclenched his jaw when he could no longer hear her footsteps and slowly threw his head back to stare at the ceiling.

He was in deep shit.

**Ok I know he seems a bit creepy, but had she not been so helpful and nice, he wouldn't have been so…interested in what she was doing. He keeps getting drawn in, dammit!**


	12. His Best Feature

For the rest of the week, Lovina and Bella stayed afterschool each day in anticipation for the important test ahead. But Bella noticed that at the other sessions they went to, Mr. Carriedo and Lovina seemed a bit distant. It was as though they were afraid of each other, maintaining a distance. Mr. Carriedo looked over Lovina like he was afraid he'd burn her if he got too close. She just figured they were both stressed out.

Bella was still glad to have spent time with them though. She would have never been prepared for the test without both of them. They really saved her ass on this one.

Bella couldn't help but feel amused glancing at Lovina during the testing. She was concentrating so hard; it was adorable. Mr. Carriedo walked up and down the aisles between desk to watch out for wandering eyes. Bella lowered her head and tried to concentrate as hard as Lovina. Her new friend had worked so hard to help her, so she had to prove Lovina's efforts were not in vain.

When she did finally finish, she felt a huge weight being lifted off of her shoulders. Lovina seemed pretty relieved too, and definitely pleased with herself.

"Do you want to come over to my house, to celebrate? We can have a sleepover!" Bella asked eagerly as they walked out of the classroom. Lovina blushed slightly. As embarrassing as it was, she had never been to a sleepover before. She had never been invited.

Bella grabbed Lovina's hand and swung it impatiently, unsatisfied with the latter's hesitation. "It'll be fun! Oh c'mon Lovina, you have to!" Lovina gave her a small smile and nodded.

"If it'll shut you up" she sighed. Bella had already learned that in 'Lovina Language', that meant 'I would love to'. Bella grinned and released her hand, already making plans for the night. Lovina was secretly excited as well, the closest things she ever had to friends were probably Francis and Gilbert. Lovina felt pathetic just thinking about the comparison.

But that didn't matter anymore. With Bella, she'd get to do normal, girlish things that she hadn't had much of an opportunity to do.

Lovina was definitely excited for tonight.

(-)

Bella's house was huge. Scratch that; Bella's house was enormous. She lived with her brother, who was some kind of prodigy CEO. Lovina gulped and gripped her bag tighter before knocking on the door.

She almost fell back when it immediately flung open to reveal an ecstatic Bella, clad in what had to be the cheesiest pair of cat covered pajama bottoms. Lovina glanced down at her own sleepwear.

Ok, so tomatoes were probably even cheesier.

Bella immediately pulled her in and dragged her to the massive kitchen. What Lovina would give to have a chance to cook in the paradise. It had a top notch oven paired with what was practically the perfect stove top. Six burners and a decked out broiler?! Lovina was in heaven.

"Lovina, I swear on every cat in the world, this will be the most epic night you have ever experienced" Bella promised. Lovina stared at her for a moment before laughing.

"Whatever you say Bell" she chuckled back. Bella squealed and hugged her. "You already have a nickname for me?! Lovina, you are so cute!"

Lovina turned red and lightly pushed her away. "I-I am not!" she protested. But her huffed pout didn't exactly help her case. Bella giggled and pulled some drinks out of the fridge.

"I need to come up with one! Can I call you Lovi?" she chirped.

"N-No!" Lovina answered too quickly. Bella tilted her head in confusion at Lovina's hasty answer. Lovina turned bright red and stared at the ground. "S-Someone else calls me that" she added quietly.

Bella giggled and set various soft drinks and juices on the counter. "Oh, I get it" she responded with a wink. Lovina rolled her eyes and leaned back against the counter when she heard a ding. Bella quickly removed a large and quite delicious looking pizza from the oven.

Lovina's mouth watered as she set it down. Before Lovina could attack the delectable meal in front of her, Bella's brother walked in.

He was extremely tall and extremely intimidating. He simply looked Lovina up and down, glanced at Bella, shrugged, and walked out, muttering "Don't make a mess". Bella chuckled nervously and shot Lovina an apologetic look. "That's Tim. He seems kind of cold, but he's really nice, I swear. He's just quiet."

Lovina smiled and nodded. "I'm sure he is" she answered half heartedly, glancing back at the pizza. Bella gigged and grabbed some plates.

"Hungry?"

(-)

God that was delicious. Extra cheese, extra sauce, extra happy Lovina. And to top it off, Bella had gelato. This girl was an angel.

Bella led Lovina through her castle-house into a screening room with a huge screen and divine looking couches. "Can I move in?" Lovina asked as she flopped down. Bella chuckled and sat beside her, handing her her bowl of the icy treat. Lovina happily accepted and sat up.

"So Lovina, you got a boyfriend?" Bella asked as she waggled her eyebrows. Lovina almost choked and coughed. "N-No! Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped.

"I think you're lying" Bella cooed before poking Lovina's sides. Lovina ignored her and shoved a huge spoonful of gelato into her mouth defiantly. Bella rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Alright, fine. But there has to be someone you're at east interested in."

Lovina's face felt hot as she swallowed. "What about Sadiq? I think he likes you" Bella added suggestively. Lovina wanted to gag. She hated that idiot more than anyone (including Ludwig). He sat beside her and pestered and teased her every day in front of her peers and poked at her and gave her revolting looks when no one was looking.

"Hell no" Lovina snapped. Bella groaned and pouted. "Lovina, there are plenty of attractive guys at our school, you don't like a single one?"

"No" Lovina responded without hesitation. Bella sighed before smirking and laughing. "Well, I guess the teachers really do raise the standards" she chuckled.

Lovina shot Bella a you-gotta-be-fucking-kidding-me look and flared her nostrils. "Scusa?"

Bella rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Oh come on. We are literally surrounded by perfection. Take that one teacher, Mr. Beilschmidt!" Lovina felt like she was going to throw up.

"Gil is too stupid to be attractive" she shot back. Bella pouted and smacked Lovina with a nearby pillow. "Don't lie; I know you think he's hot. He looks so unique! There's no denying it!"

Lovina scowled and pushed the pillow away. "Ok, so he isn't ugly…" Damn, Bella was kind of right. Lovina just couldn't think of Gilbert that way without wanting to scratch her eyes out. "But he's still an idiot…" Lovina added for good measure.

"Then there's Mr. Bonnefoy" Bella sighed. Ok, now Lovina was really going to hurl.

"He's a pervert, end of discussion!" Lovina hissed. Bella chuckled and flopped back.

"Alright fine. But you know who really takes the cake?"

Lovina furrowed her brow and shook her head. At this rate, anyone was fair game. Bella sat up and narrowed her eyes.

"You're serious? You don't have any idea who the most attractive man on the planet is?"

Lovina shrugged passively. She had never really thought about these things before. She didn't even talk about boys with Feliciana. Feli had a steady boyfriend and Lovina wasn't interested in anyone. The opposite ends of the spectrum made conversation on this topic obsolete.

"Oh my god, Mr. fucking Carriedo!" Bella groaned, clearly exasperated with Lovina's obliviousness. Lovina froze and shook her head.

"Wh-What are you talking about?! Y-You're crazy" she stammered. Bella cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward.

"Lovina, just take a moment to think about it" she sighed. So Lovina did. She tried to imagine his face. She started with his eyes, the first feature that popped into her head. Then she moved onto his smile. Lovina's eyes widened when the picture started coming together. Tanned skin, strong jaw, curly brown hair that fell just right. Lovina's heart stopped when the pieces all came together…well fuck.

"HOLY SHIT, YOUR FACE IS BRIGHT RED" Bella squealed. Lovina snapped her head to face the other girl and quickly shook her head.

"N-No it's not! Stop it, this conversation is weird!" she whined. But there was no way Bella could possibly stop there.

"It is, it is, IT IS!" Bella sprung to her feet and danced around Lovina on the cushion. "I've found Lovina's weakness!" she chanted triumphantly. Bella stopped and let the smuggest smirk grace her lips. "Hey Lovina, you know what the best part about him is?" she cooed.

Lovina narrowed her eyes and pouted. "No, and I don't care to find out" she retorted. Bella fell back down beside her and leaned in closer so she could whisper.

"His ass."

Lovina's eyes flew open. She quickly pushed Bella away while the latter burst into laughter and gripped her sides. "You are the craziest person I know" Lovina snapped.

"Don't tell me… you've never…stared before" Bella panted. Oh how Lovina wanted to smother her right then and there. "Never!" Lovina screeched.

Lovina buried her head into a pillow. Now images of Mr. Carriedo flooded her vision. God damnit! Now all she could see was his fucking ass! And it was slowly becoming harder and harder to deny Bella's observations.

"I hate you so much!" Lovina grumbled into the pillow. Bella chuckled and sat beside her. "I wil never apologize for enlightening you" she responded, still catching her breath. Lovina lifted her head and glared.

"Yeah, well I won't be able to pay attention in English anymore because all I'll be thinking of is that stupid smile, and green eyes, and a-"

Lovina clamped her hand over her mouth before she could finish the sentence. Lovina had just sealed her fate.

"I know why Lovina doesn't like any of the boys" Bella smirked. "She's got her eyes on the prize."

"I will murder you in your sleep" Lovina hissed. Bella chuckled and squeezed Lovina's arm. "It's alright; your secret is safe with me" she assured Lovina with a wink. Lovina just rolled her eyes and mumbled obscenities before letting Bella start a movie, praying the current conversation was over.


	13. Into the Depths of Hell We Go

Lovina's face felt hot as she walked into the classroom after the weekend. The fact that Antonio was already facing the chalkboard, writing something down did not help. _Eyes up, eyes up _she repeated to herself as she walked by. Lovina jumped and let out a yelp when someone nudged her from behind. Her classmates stared and rolled their eyes as she chuckled nervously. Bella giggled behind her and sat down in her seat.

"What were you thinking about Lovina?" she teased. Lovina grumbled something clearly obscene and set her head on her desk. She didn't even bother to pick her head up when she heard footsteps.

"Bella, if you don't leave me alone, I swear-"

"You'll do what?"

Lovina's head snapped up when she heard a much deeper and smugger voice addressing her. Lovina scowled at the idiot smirking in front of her, leaning over her desk. "You'll get an even worse punishment, Sadiq. Go away" she hissed.

Sadiq let out a deep chuckled and tilted his head. "C'mon Lovina. I'm gracing you with my presence. Show some respect" he shot back. Lovina narrowed her eyes and sat up.

"Excuse me?" she snapped. Like hell she would give that slimy bastard respect. He wasn't entitled to anything. "You heard me. You're lucky I even show interest. I could just ignore you" he scoffed. Lovina let out a dry laugh and rolled her eyes.

"Be my guest" she smirked. She knew he wouldn't back off though. To him, she was far too entertaining. Sadiq narrowed his eyes and scowled. "God Lovina, you are such a bit-"

Both of them jumped when they heard a loud thud resound from the surface of her desk. Sadiq gulped when he looked up to find an extremely pissed teacher standing beside him.

"Sadiq, I think you should sit at the other end of the room from now on" Antonio hissed. Lovina shrank back in her seat and glanced at Bella, who just stared. Sadiq chuckled nervously and stepped back.

"Mr. Carriedo, we were just-"

"Go" Antonio spat. Sadiq nodded and shot Lovina a dirty look before retreating to the back corner. Antonio sighed and looked down at Lovina, who was trying to ignore the stares and snickers of her classmates.

"Lovina, would you mind helping me pass these out" he asked politely with a small smile. Lovina nodded and grabbed one of the books he had so gently paced on her desk. "Dante's Inferno…" she mumbled as she scanned the cover. Antonio nodded and picked a few up.

"Mhm. I figured we'd start early, while I'm still grading tests."

Lovina nodded and grabbed the rest of the stack. She silently passed them out, avoiding the glares of her peers. By the time she had finished, the bell had rung and everyone had settled in their seats.

"Today, we are going to talk about Hell" Antonio announced. He gracefully pushed himself up onto his desk and sat before pointing to Ludwig.

"Ludwig, what does hell mean to you? What's the first word that pops into your head?"

Ludwig furrowed his eyebrows and thought for a moment. "Sin, I guess" he shrugged. Antonio smiled and nodded. "Good. Feliciana, what about you?"

Feliciana bit her lip and glanced at Ludwig. "I-I don't know…Hell sounds scary…" she whimpered. Antonio chuckled a bit and nodded. "No, that's good Feliciana; you're exactly right. Quite frankly, Hell is terrifying."

Lovina let a small smile escape her lips. She was glad to have a patient teacher that put up with Feliciana. Lovina knew her sister was smart, but sometimes she was a bit hesitant.

"Lovina?"

Lovina blinked as she was pulled from her daze before looking up at Antonio. He looked curious, almost eager to hear her answer.

"Nothing" she replied honestly. Antonio frowned a bit and tilted his head. "Aw come on Lovi. Surely you have something" he pouted. Lovina gulped and felt her ears become hot as Bella's eyes widened. God damn it, she told him not to use that name during class!

"I literally mean nothing. I don't think of fire, or demons or anything like that. I imagine an eternity in an empty room. With nothing." Lovina blushed under his all too perceptive stare. "And no one" she added quietly. Antonio frowned when he heard chuckles come from the class.

Lovina felt so stupid. God, why didn't she just say something normal, like little naked red men with tails holding pitchforks? She wanted to cry, she wanted to disappear. The worst thing was she didn't care what the other students thought of her. She just…she didn't want to look stupid in front of him…

"Quiet!" Antonio snapped. Lovina blushed harder and stared at the surface of her desk. Oh look, somebody drew a penis…

"That's remarkable Lovina, I never thought of it that way" Antonio praised. Lovina just kept her eyes down and tried to keep her blush from deepening.

"Yes, Ludwig?" Antonio called out hesitantly. Lovina cringed when she heard a sigh. "I think Lovina's answer is best. It makes more sense, in my opinion."

Lovina's head snapped up. She turned in her seat and gave Ludwig the most perplexed look she had ever seen. Ludwig just sent back a small smirk and continued.

"Hell is supposed to be awful, right? I think I'd lose it if I was staring at walls for an eternity" he added thoughtfully. Feliciana let out an audible gasp and looked to Ludwig.

"Luddy, sorella's right!" she exclaimed. Antonio let out an amused chuckled and hopped of his desk. "I agree, Feliciana" he said with a bright smile.

"But I don't know about Dante. You'll soon learn he's a bit…melodramatic, to put it lightly." Antonio grabbed the book off of his desk and faced the board.

"Please turn to the first page."

(-)

Lovina sat at her usual lunch table and waited for Bella, Ludwig, and Feliciana to join her. Maybe Kiku would even sit with them today, if he wasn't with Heracles.

Lovina felt weird. For the past few months, she actually didn't mind having other people around her. Before she had been so closed off, it was starting to scare her. But Lovina actually felt somewhat…happy to have others hanging around. It felt nice, but she thought maybe it was scarier than pushing them away…

Bella was the first to sit beside her. But she wasn't her usual cheery self. She looked worried, even a bit scared. "Who pooped in your lunch?" Lovina joked. Bella gulped and faced Lovina.

"Do you know what people say about you?"

Lovina's heart stopped. She had been fearing this for awhile. She knew as soon as Bella found out how much a lot of other students disliked her, and had grown to dislike her even more, she wouldn't want to be around her.

Lovina rolled the tomato she had packed under her hand and looked away. "Look, everybody thinks I'm a bitch, so it's no big deal-"

"That's not what I meant" Bella interrupted gravely. Lovina gulped and looked up. "W-What are they saying now?" she practically whispered. Bella glanced down at her tray and sighed.

"Now I know why you didn't want to talk about Mr. Carriedo…" she mumbled back. Lovina pretended to agree, but realized that wasn't entirely true. She just really didn't want to admit how flustered she felt and how fast her heart was beating during that particular topic.

"I know it's not true. So don't worry" Bella said earnestly.

"What's not true?"

Lovina cringed when she heard the familiar raspy voice behind her. She hadn't spoken to Gilbert since his last, uncomfortable call.

"The fact that you're awesome" Lovina mumbled back. Gilbert just laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder. His smile fell when she pulled away. Gilbert stepped back and scratched the back of his head. "Lovina, can I speak to you for a moment?" he mumbled.

Lovina nodded hesitantly and rose, assuring Bella she'd return soon. Gilbert awkwardly shuffled into a corner of the cafeteria and sighed. "I uh, wanted to apologize. It was not awesome for me to call you in the middle of the night. And I know I kinda pushed it…"

Lovina groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, don't worry about me. You've got bigger problems, ok?"

Gilbert nodded and began to turn away."Gil, have you heard from her?" she asked quietly. Gilbert turned his head and gave her a small sad smile.

"No, I think I scared her. I just hope she doesn't hate me" he mumbled before going to yell at some idiot flinging mystery meat off of his spoon. Lovina sat back at her table and found that everyone, including Kiku and Heracles had sat down and were eating cheerfully.

Lovina, however, had lost her appetite.

(-)

"Table 3" Lovina called out to Heracles. The busboy nodded and headed to the indicated table. Lovina was supposed to be in the kitchen, but they were short staffed because Feliciana and her stupid potato eating boyfriend were off on a stupid date.

Lovina had been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Ever since she had told her grandfather about Tuscany, he insisted that she work with him and practice to better her chances. Lovina put up absolutely no fight. She preferred cooking to socializing.

She smiled sweetly and winked at the other table she was serving and made her way over to Arthur with his coffee. "Here" she mumbled before placing it in front of him. Arthur frowned and grabbed her wrist before she could leave.

"What's wrong?" he asked earnestly. Lovina scowled and ripped her hand away. "Nothing" she lied, clearly annoyed. Arthur rolled his eyes and pointed at the chair in front of him. "Sit" he commanded. Lovina glanced around the restaurant before sighing and slumping down.

"Good, now tell Mr. Kirkland what troubles you" Arthur cooed as he sat back and sipped his drink. Lovina crinkled her nose and looked away. "You're creepy as fuck, you know that?" she mumbled. Arthur rolled his eyes and leaned forward.

"Just tell me" he sighed. Lovina looked back at him uncomfortably and groaned. "You wouldn't understand" she protested. Arthur cocked an eyebrow and laced his fingers together on the table in front of him.

"Try me" he challenged. Lovina sighed and stared at the ground. "I'm sure you don't know anything about stupid, petty rumors…" she mumbled.

Arthur threw his head back and laughed. "My dear, you are poorly mistaken" he chuckled. Lovina tilted his head as he sighed.

"I was different from others in high school. The artistic creative-writer who's a bit of a romantic isn't usually the popular one."

Lovina looked up at Arthur, who was already starting to gaze off. "The rumors were nasty. People said I did all sorts of crazy things; Drugs, random hook-ups, one night stands, and I was bloody teenager for god's sake" he groaned. "And you know what the funniest thing about it is? I was a virgin all throughout high school. Not a shred of what they said was true. Lovina even if I wanted to, I could never pull any of that off. "

Lovina let out a small chuckle. "But you know what?" he continued. "It doesn't matter now. I'm a published author, with a best-seller nonetheless." Lovina's eyes widened.

"Wait, what?!"

Arthur chuckled and nodded. "I didn't tell you? I write under the name G.B. Tudor" he stated proudly. Lovina had most definitely heard that name before. Shit, he was right…

"I'm working on another one now" he added smugly. "It's about a fiery girl who waits tables and is trying to get ahead in life. Very riveting."

Lovina flared her nostrils and glared. "You didn't" she snarled. Arthur bit his lip and held back a giggle. "You're just so fascinating Lovina" he grinned. "I couldn't help myself."

Lovina quickly sat up and marched away. Arthur laughed and took another sip of his coffee.

"Just remember; All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental!"

**Oh Arthur, such a silly billy. The last thing he said is a standard disclaimer used in movies, books, TV shows, etc. I just thought that'd be amusing. AND THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US PRAISE JEEBUS. And I would like to apologize for Arthur's little alias. Because it's cheesy…G.B…. Great Britain….HAHA GET IT…yeah…**


	14. Two Blushing Pilgrims

Lovina was anxious to see the results of her test. She had really worked hard to prepare herself. Fortunately, Inferno provided some distraction. Lovina actually enjoyed the short novel. There was symbolism, but it was much easier to pick out. Once you got past the whole 'Beatrice' thing, it was pretty good.

Lovina's heart stopped when Antonio pulled out the multiple choice and essay portions of the tests. She had been waiting for more than two weeks to find out how she did. Antonio quickly passed back the tests before the bell rang. Lovina was glad to see Bella smile when she received hers.

"H-How did you do?" Lovina asked anxiously. Bella grinned and held up her scores.

"Bs on both parts. It doesn't seem fantastic, but I started off not knowing anything, so I'll gladly take it."

Lovina smiled and shook her head. "No, that's good. You did great" she praised. _Probably much better than me…_

Lovina nervously drummed her fingers on her desk as Antonio passed her over and over again. Was hers really at the fucking bottom?! Lovina jumped when the bell rang. Everyone else had already gotten theirs back.

The others rose and packed up their things while Antonio went back to his desk. Lovina frowned and marched over as the other students filed out.

"What about me?" she asked quietly. Antonio smiled and pulled one more test out of his desk. "I wanted to show you last, Lovi" he chuckled. Lovina hesitantly grabbed the papers without taking her eyes off of him. Antonio just leaned back in chair and smiled.

A grin slowly grew on Lovina's face. "Is this for real?" she asked quietly. Antonio laughed and nodded as he stood. "Of course it is Lovi. What did you expect?"

Lovina just smiled and flipped through the papers. "Not an A…" Antonio leaned against the desk beside her and watched.

"You really need to be more confident in yourself, Lovi" he replied softly. Lovina tore her gaze away from her test and smirked.

"I think I am now" she chuckled. Lovina rested the papers onto the desk and stared at the ground. "Thank you" she mumbled. Antonio stood and moved in front of her.

"You earned it."

But she would never have been able to pull it off without him. If he hadn't come along, she would be sitting in a corner and sulking. She wouldn't have ever tried without him. She wouldn't be working towards a bigger goal without him.

"Are you available afterschool today, Lovina?"

Lovina snapped her head up and nodded without even thinking about it. Antonio smiled and placed his hands on his hips triumphantly. "Good, I have a surprise for you" he teased. Lovina couldn't decide whether she loved or hated the way he made her stomach flip.

"O-Okay" Lovina responded weakly. God her face felt so hot. Before she could embarrass herself further, she quickly said goodbye, grabbed her things, and shuffled out.

(-)

Lovina's chest felt heavy with each step as she walked back to Antonio's classroom. What the hell did he mean by 'surprise'? And why the hell would he want to give her one? He was so god damn infuriating!

Lovina gulped and hesitantly knocked her knuckles against the wood of the closed door when she finally reached the room. She let out a deep breath when she heard a muffled 'come in' and slowly turned the knob. Antonio didn't look up at first, distracted by his computer that was hooked up to a projector. When he did, he smiled brightly and sauntered over to the board, where he pulled down the white screen.

"I'm glad you came. I figured as a reward for doing so well on the test, I'd let you watch Romeo and Juliet with me."

Lovina rolled her eyes a bit and ventured further into the room. "That's a bit arrogant of you" she scoffed. "Who said I wanted to watch it with you?" Antonio shrugged and walked over to her.

"You don't have to; I just thought it would be nice."

Lovina looked him up and down for a moment, thinking about the offer. "Alright. I'll watch it" she sighed. Antonio clapped his hands together and chuckled.

"It'll be fun Lovi. I have the classic one, with Olivia Hussey. I guessed that you'd prefer that one to the more recent version."

Lovina was a bit surprised, but he had guessed right. No offense Leo, but reciting Shakespeare in some sleazy Miami-ish city during the 90s was not her cup of tea. Lovina sat down at one of the two chairs that had been pulled out while Antonio hit the lights. He started the movie and took a seat beside her before offering a bowl.

"Popcorn?" he offered. Lovina smirked and grabbed some before pulling out her water bottle. "You don't half-ass anything, do you?" she chuckled. Antonio leaned back and popped a kernel in his mouth.

"Nope. Never have, never will."

Lovina rolled her eyes and leaned back once the movie started. She had to bite her lip to suppress a snort when the film started at the sight of the boys prancing about the street. Antonio glanced over and rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Come one Lovi, I expected more from you" he teased. Lovina pouted and pointed to the screen. "Look me in the eyes and tell me they don't look absolutely ridiculous" she snapped. Antonio glanced at the screen and sighed. Ok, so maybe their pants were a bit tight.

Lovina shot him a triumphant smirk and grabbed more popcorn. "That's what I thought she scoffed. Antonio just shook his head and continued to watch.

Antonio glanced at Lovina when she let out a sigh the first time Juliet graced the screen. "Did you know she was only fifteen when they started filming?" she asked after taking a sip of water. Antonio shook his head. Lovina closed the bottle and sighed again.

"Three years younger than me and still so beautiful" she mumbled. How Antonio wished he could tell Lovina that actress was nothing compared to her. But he settled for shrugging and looking back at the screen.

"Not my type" he responded honestly. Lovina laughed and shook her head. "I should hope not" she chuckled. "That would be creepy." Antonio shushed her and encouraged her to continue watching. Lovina decided not to tell him she'd seen it a bajillion times before.

Lovina tried not to blush during the party scene when the two lovers first meet. The way they pushed their hands together was literally exactly the same as the way Antonio had done it. Lovina stole a glance at him and held her breath. Thankfully, he was unfazed by the whole thing.

Then she had to try even harder not to blush during the balcony scene. Romeo fucking attacked her neck. And Juliet just giggled and let him. Normally this didn't bother her, but somehow having Antonio not just watching it beside her, but watching it _with _her didn't help. That, and the fact that their sloppy makeout sesh followed the monologue that Lovina had used about a month ago.

But Antonio just sat there, relaxing and having the time of his life. Lovina tried to do the same and distracted herself with popcorn, which worked pretty well. Up until the 'morning after' scene. Lovina almost choked on her water due to the extreme nudeness of Romeo and Juliet and unfortunately did not pay attention and felt her hand brush Antonio's.

Normally, she wouldn't care. Normally, she'd just pull away and pretend nothing happened because in all actuality, nothing did happen. But a naked person being displayed in front of you makes the slightest touch feel…weird. So Lovina did what anyone would do; she panicked, ripped her hand away, knocked over the bowl, and spilled popcorn everywhere.

Lovina dropped to the floor with a groan and started gathering up the small pieces. "Shit, I-I'm sorry" she mumbled over and over again. God, she was such a fucking clutz. A clutz whose greatest talent was looking like an idiot. Lovina scowled and blushed profusely when she heard Antonio chuckle and swoop down beside her.

"Don't worry Lovi. It happens" he assured her as he grabbed the bowl and let her dump her handful in. Lovina muttered curses under her breath and continued to help Antonio pick the kernels up. But it was still so damn dark. Lovina sighed after she had turned back around from picking up the pieces behind her. But she froze when she heard Antonio's breath hitch.

That was new. Usually she was the flustered one; she was the embarrassed one who lost her breath around him. Hell, two minutes ago she had a fucking spaz attack when he merely brushed her fingers. But this time, Antonio was the uncertain one when he found her face inches from his.

Neither of them moved. Romeo and Juliet were still having a jolly good time making out in front of them and Lovina was too nervous to even breath.

But she did when it hit her. That feeling. It was back and a million times stronger. And it only got worse as Antonio continued to just stare at her. The feeling radiated throughout her whole body and it made her feel lightheaded.

And then the strangest thought crossed her mind. He was right there. And he hadn't moved, hadn't flinched, hadn't even looked away. And if he just tilted his head up…or if she moved a few inches further…

Lovina wondered if Antonio was thinking the same thing. She swallowed and pulled away to continue cleaning up when she realized he wasn't and that she was being ridiculous. However, Lovina very quickly began to doubt her previous assumptions when she felt a hand cup her cheek.

Antonio looked so conflicted, it scared her. She had made her mind up, and she wished he'd make his. Lovina shuddered when he finally let his nose touch hers. This was by far the most exhilarating thing Lovina had ever experienced. Because he was right there. And he could only come closer.

The lights blinded Lovina when they flew on.

**I AM A TEASE**


	15. Back To Square One

Lovina gulped and stared at Antonio. Praise God they were concealed by desks.

"Oi, Toni! You in here?"

God damn it, Gilbert! That bastard had the absolute worst timing. Antonio didn't even hesitate to move his hand away and stand up as smoothly as ever. It infuriated Lovina to see him so collected, like nothing had happened, like she wasn't even there.

"Hola Gil. Did you need something?" Lovina stayed down and hoped the idiot would just go away.

"Um Toni, why were you on the ground?"

Antonio laughed effortlessly and grabbed Lovina's arm, pulling her up with him. "We made a mess and were trying to clean it up" he chuckled. Gilbert looked Lovina up and passed off her flustered expression as a result of embarrassment due to her clumsiness.

Gilbert then shrugged and smirked. "No surprise there. But anyways, Francis wanted me to give these to you." Gilbert tossed some file onto Antonio's desk and shoved his hands into his pockets. Lovina narrowed her eyes at the gesture.

"Also, I can't make it tonight. Sorry buddy" he added quietly. He could tell Lovina was burning a hole into his forehead with that glare.

"Gilbert, what are you planning?" she asked, clearly anticipating an exasperating answer. Gilbert rolled his eyes and shuffled out.

"You're not my mother" he mumbled under his breath before trudging down the hall. That just left her and…

Antonio sighed and walked over to the projector, turned it off and closed the laptop. Lovina could tell he was about to say something. She wanted him to say he cared about her, but they couldn't. Or he would wait for her. More than anything, she wished he'd say the rules didn't matter anymore. But she'd never ask that of him.

"Lovina, we should forget this ever happened."

Lovina felt her heart drop into her stomach. She could take being turned down. She could take recognizing following through with their previous action would have been wrong. But to ignore that it ever happened? To deny that there was something there?

"And I don't think you need to come afterschool anymore."

Lovina let out an audible gasp. Like it or not, he had become a part of her life. And now he was telling her to just cut that part out. It was too much.

'"A-Antonio-"

"Mr. Carriedo" Antonio interrupted, still staring at the top of the computer. Lovina gritted her teeth together and picked up her bag without another word. This was ridiculous. This was infuriating. The coward couldn't even finish what he started.

"Lovina, I want what's best for you" Antonio…Mr. Carriedo sighed as she brushed past him. Lovina clenched her fists and paused at the door. She didn't look back to see the regret, devastation or guilt in his eyes.

"Thank you for all you've done" she hissed before walking out. Lovina decided she hated the strange feeling he gave her. Because she was certain had she never felt it, had he never _infected _her, there was no way her chest would have felt this painfully heavy as she stormed out.

Antonio slumped into a nearby chair and rested his head in his hands. He never, ever, in a million years meant for this to happen. He just couldn't control himself. He wasn't thinking and he did the one thing he never wanted to do.

He hurt Lovina.

(-)

Lovina didn't say a word as she walked into the restaurant and threw on her apron from the back. She didn't flirt, she didn't chit chat, and she didn't grovel for tips. She took orders, gave them to her grandfather, and took the food to the customers.

Arthur eyed her suspiciously when she brought him his coffee. "You're awful chatty today" he teased, hoping to get a normal reaction out of her.

"I'm not in the mood today, Arthur" she responded quietly before walking away. Arthur frowned. No insults, no snarky comments, hell, she didn't even snap at him. This could not be good.

Feliciana was the one to bring back his pastry and refill his cup a few minutes later. He stared at the dark liquid before pulling out a pen and grabbing a napkin. Feliciana quietly watched him scribble something down before handing it back to her.

"Would you mind giving this to your sister for me?" he requested politely. Feliciana smiled and nodded before stuffing it in her pocket and handing him a bill.

After he left, Feliciana slipped upstairs to where her sister was hiding out and lightly tapped her knuckles against her door. Without waiting for an answer, she slowly walked in and found her sister searching furiously through her closet.

Feliciana cleared her throat and received a grunt in reply. "Sorella? Arthur asked me to give this to you" she chirped before setting the napkin on Lovina's nightstand. Lovina just nodded and continued to search, so Feliciana left without another word.

Lovina stepped away from her closet, clutching a tomato-red scarf. His stupid tomato red scarf. Lovina threw it into her backpack to see what Arthur had left her. Lovina sat down on her bed before picking the note up and scanning it over.

_If you ever want to talk, please give me a call._

Below his neat hand writing there was, of course, a phone number. Lovina chuckled bitterly and set it down.

She genuinely wondered what Arthur would think.

(-)

Lovina didn't even look at Mr. Carriedo when she walked into his room the next morning. She didn't say good morning, she didn't speak, and she didn't raise her hand. Mr. Carriedo didn't even seem to care. Lovina hardly paid attention and had to be nudged multiple times by Bella who was beginning to grow worried.

This wasn't like Lovina at all. She wasn't scowling, she wasn't pouting, and she wasn't acting like her usual sassy self. She was blank and distant, and it scared Bella. This was Lovina's favorite class. She was always participating and she always had something to contribute. But today, there was nothing.

Bella also noticed Mr. Carriedo wasn't quite as cheery as usual. Sure, he smiled and chuckled and joked, but he seemed uncomfortable. Like he was winging the entire lesson, but Bella knew he wasn't. One; he would never do that, and two; he had his notes.

And he wouldn't look to Lovina like he usually did. That girl used to be his saving grace, always able to add insightful commentary and fuel the lesson. But he just seemed lost. Nobody else seemed to notice, but his eyes said everything.

Bella brought her attention back to Lovina when the bell finally rang. Lovina was gathering her things, but she seemed hesitant. Bella waited at the door when Lovina told her she'd be out in a minute.

Mr. Carriedo sat at his desk and flipped through his notes before glancing up and seeing Lovina standing before him.

"Did you need anything, Lovina?" he asked earnestly. Lovina just tossed a piece of fabric on his desk and stepped away. Antonio eyed it suspiciously before picking it up.

"It's your scarf. From over break" Lovina explained quietly. Bella clutched her bag tighter from outside the room. Why did Lovina have something from him from break?

"Or did you want to forget that happened as well?" she added bitterly. Antonio sighed and gripped his forehead.

"Lovina, please don't be like this" he begged quietly. Bella knew she shouldn't be listening, but this conversation was just too weird.

"Whatever" she mumbled before walking towards the door. Lovina stopped and turned back around before she walked out.

"Last night was the first night I got a call from Gilbert when he wasn't piss drunk. He was sober and acting normal" she snapped quietly.

"Because he decided to talk things through with Elizaveta. And you know what? I always thought Gilbert was a coward for hiding his feelings. But that's not true. He only would've been a coward if he left her hanging."

Antonio hung his head and clenched his fists while she walked away. Because he knew she was entirely right.


	16. Picking Up the Pieces

Lovina followed through with _Mr. Carriedo's _request. She didn't come after school and she went so far as to walk in just as the bell rang so technically, she didn't have to see him before school. Anything to please that bastard.

Instead of focusing on English, Lovina spent all her extra time pouring all her efforts into the restaurant. Waiting tables like nobody's damn business, taking advantage of all the time she could spend in the kitchen, hell she even covered for Heracles a couple times.

One night, Roma woke up at one in the morning after hearing a clang to find her in the kitchen, covered in flour after dropping a bowl of it making pasta. The girl was starting to worry him.

But Lovina pushed on. She was only obligated to spend an hour in the same room as Antonio…*ahem*…Mr. Carriedo once a day, so Lovina stayed in that room for 59 minutes. However, after a week of her little forget-the-bastard Olympics, She was starting to get tired.

Her muscles started feeling sore, her head started aching, and she was just a mess. She mixed orders up. She spilled hot coffee on Arthur. She didn't pick up the phone when Gilbert called. She was falling behind.

One particularly dreary afternoon, Lovina decided to take a nap. In a booth. While she was cleaning it. Lovina growled and scooted further into the booth when she felt someone nudging her. She only cracked open an eye when she heard a familiar giggle erupt from the intruder.

"Wow Lovina, you look really pathetic right now."

Lovina sat up drowsily and glared at Bella. "What are you doing here?" she whined. Bella crossed her arms and pouted.

"You never told me your family owns a restaurant! That's so cool, why didn't you say anything?!"

Lovina rolled her eyes and picked up the rag and tray she had set down. Once she had been woken up from a nap, she could never go back to sleep. Thanks Bella.

"I don't know, because this place is wearing down" she hissed. Bella just giggled and followed her around. "But you have a job! That's really great!" she praised. Lovina let out a bitter snort before plastering a smile on her face for two elderly women. Bella watched her socialize and chit chat before taking the orders.

"Wow Lovina, you could be an actress" Bella marveled when Lovina returned. Lovina smirked and handed the orders to her grandfather.

"That's nothing."

Lovina wandered over to a group of young men and worked her magic. She giggled and batted her eyes and swung her hips ever so slightly as she walked away. Bella slow clapped for her when she came back while Lovina did a little twirl and bowed.

Lovina yelped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and a low chuckle. "Wonderful show, love" Arthur teased. Lovina smacked his hand away and scowled. Bella smirked and winked to Lovina. Lovina fought oh so hard to stifle any laughter.

Arthur missed the gesture and mussed up her hair before walking over to his usual table. Lovina rolled her eyes and went to grab his coffee.

"Who was that?!" Bella squealed. "Arthur" Lovina answered passively while she poured the hot liquid into his mug.

"Aw, you already know his order, that's adorable" she cooed. "He's a bit older, but-"

"He's gay, Bella" she groaned as she waltzed over the said gay man. Arthur smirked and glanced over at Bella, who gave him an awkward wave. "She a friend over yours?" he asked quietly. Lovina smirked a bit and nodded.

"She's a keeper" she sighed. Arthur laughed and took a sip of his drink. "How are you?" he asked politely. Lovina shrugged and looked off. "I don't know. Tired" she mumbled. Arthur frowned and shook his head.

"You need to get some more sleep" he scolded. Lovina rolled her eyes and turned away. "All right mommy" she grumbled as she headed for the counter. Bella started to follow once again, but this time, she kept a…safer distance.

"Lovina, can I ask you a question?"

Lovina politely took a plate from a young girl and started to walk back to the counter.

"Go for it" she groaned. Bella bit her lip and sighed.

"What happened between you and Mr. Carriedo?"

The plate crashed to the floor and shattered. The customers seated all turned their heads to glare at the source of the noise before returning to their meals. Lovina immediately bent down to pick up the pieces. She felt her face grow hot when Arthur ended up right by her side, helping her before Bella could even move.

"I was just wondering because you two seem off…"

"Bella, now's not a good time" Lovina whimpered. Arthur shot her a concerned glance and continued to clean up.

"A-And I heard you two talking about forgetting things and feelings…"Lovina stopped what she was doing and bit her lip.

"Lovina, those rumors…those rumors weren't true, right?"

Arthur's eyes widened as Lovina turned her head away. He watched her small figure tense as she remained hunched over.

"No, I'm not sleeping with my teacher for extra credit" she snapped. Lovina's breath hitched when she felt Arthur grip her shoulders. Lovina shrank back when she saw the furious look in his eyes.

"Lovina, have you told anyone about this?!" he hissed. Lovina tried to pull away, but Arthur only held her tighter.

"It doesn't matter" she mumbled. Arthur let out a dry laugh. "You say that now. But after a bottle of pills and having my stomach pumped, I think it's safe to say that yes, it does matter" he snapped. Arthur pulled away and rubbed his forehead before sighing. Lovina just stared. She never expected him to admit something so personal like that to her. Arthur glanced at her and gently placed one of his hands back on her shoulder.

"I won't tell you what to do. I know tattling doesn't solve any problems. But please, _please, _Lovina, talk to me. Don't keep anything bottled up. Can you promise me that you'll come to me-"

"I will" Lovina responded quickly. Arthur gave her a small smile and stood, brushing his knees off. "Good, now please also get some rest like I told you too" he smirked. Lovina rolled her eyes and brought the pieces of plate up with her.

"Fine" she groaned. Arthur glanced at Bella before walking back and sitting down, like confessing to trying to end your life at one point was an ever day occurrence. Bella took the broken plate away from Lovina and stared at the ground guiltily.

"I'll take care of that…and I shouldn't have…I feel terrible for even thinking for a second-"

"It's all right" Lovina interrupted as she walked Bella over to a trash bin. "Look, things are just weird, and I don't know how to explain it, but it's just…" Lovina sighed and let out a dry chuckle. "…weird…"

Bella dumped the plate into the trash before reaching out and squeezing Lovina's hand.

"I understand."

(-)

Lovina was beyond pissed. She had checked every other classroom, and she had searched every other possible inch of the school. And now she had to go to that fucking classroom because, with her luck they were in there. They had to be in there.

Never before had she ever misplaced her keys. And now she had to go back to the demon room to see if they were salvaged by Satan himself. Lovina saw that the lights were on and just opened the door to Mr. Carriedo's classroom.

She froze when she heard laughter. Bella was in there with him, giggling as he pointed something out, or did something stupid, or, or…

Lovina gulped when Mr. Carriedo looked up at her. "Lovina, what are you doing here?" he asked politely. Lovina hung her head and stared at the floor.

"I was wondering if I left my keys in here" she responded slowly. Mr. Carriedo glanced back at Bella and saw worry in her eyes. He sighed and walked to his desk before opening the drawer.

"I think so." He held up a set of keys and jangled them a bit in his hands. "These yours?"

Lovina nodded and held up her hand. "If you'll just toss them to me, I'll go" she answered bitterly. Antonio looked her up and down before shaking his head.

"Lovina, may I have a word with you?" he asked quietly. Mr. Carriedo cleared his throat and glanced back at Bella. "If you don't mind waiting…" Bella smiled and shook her head. Mr. Carriedo nodded and headed for the door, which Lovina happened to be standing in front of.

He waited until Lovina finally turned and followed him out before he shut the door behind them. They both stood there in silence, neither knowing how to start an extremely difficult conversation.

"Are you going to call her 'amada'?" Lovina whimpered. Antonio's eyes widened as she shrank back. "Are you going to try to kiss her?"

Antonio's stomach twisted and churned. He had never felt this horrible in his entire life. Antonio gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Lovi, no" he whispered as he shook his head. Antonio glanced around the hall before taking another step closer.

"That was only you. It can only be you."

Lovina pushed him away and glared. Oh god, if looks could kill. "I'm not doing this again" she snapped. Antonio nodded and took a smaller step forward. "Neither am I" he responded quietly. Antonio ran his hands through his hair before pacing in a circle, trying to find the right words.

"Lovina, I messed up."

Lovina rolled her eyes and snorted. No shit, Sherlock.

"I crossed a line that both of us know I should have _never_ crossed, and I panicked. And I want you to know, when Gilbert walked in, I wasn't worried about getting in trouble, or-or getting fired. I was worried about you."

Lovina felt a heavy, shaky breath escape her lips. A huge part of her truly knew he wasn't lying. "Lovina, you have so much ahead of you, and-and I don't want to be a distraction, or a road block, or another source of stress, because I know you have so much to be thinking about right now. And I didn't know what to do, and I thought if I just tried to ignore it or push it away I-"

Antonio paused mid sentence and looked back at Lovina. "But I didn't do that, did I?" he continued bitterly. "I pushed _you_ away. And you were right Lovi, you were so right. We should have been having this conversation a long time ago, but I was an idiot. And I'm not justifying my actions, or asking you to forgive me, but you have to know."

Antonio stepped back after saying his piece and rubbed his forehead.

"I do" Lovina finally muttered. Antonio looked back at her as she sighed and smoothed back her hair. "I forgive you."

Antonio stepped forward once again and shook his head. "Lovina, you don't have to. You can walk right up to the administration, hell, to the school board and tell them what happened if you want to and I won't hold it against you, not for a second."

"I would never do that" she mumbled quietly. Antonio nodded and sighed. "Is there anything you want to say?" he asked earnestly. "This isn't just about me, this is about you too."

Antonio didn't think it would be appropriate to refer to the both of them as 'us'.

Lovina remained silent. There was so much she wanted to say. Why did he even want to in the first place? What if Gilbert had never walked in? Did he still want to?

"No" she responded quietly. Antonio sighed and rubbed his chin. "Lovi, please, if there is anything you need to say, say it. I won't be offended or hurt or anything."

_I wanted you to do it. I was milliseconds away from closing the gap myself._

"Can we move past this?" she asked coyly. Antonio smiled and nodded. "Nothing would make me happier, Lovina." Antonio chuckled a bit and scratched the back of his head.

"I kind of missed you in class Lovi. Your peers aren't exactly…"

"Comprehensive" Lovina finished dryly. Antonio laughed and rolled his eyes. "I was going to say responsive" he chuckled. Lovina shrugged and crossed her arms.

"Same difference" she sighed passively. Antonio just shook his head and leaned his shoulder against the door to the classroom.

"Thank you," he started awkwardly. "This was…this was crazy and entirely my fault, but you, you suffered because of it. Yet you keep going. You never cease to amaze me."

Antonio glanced through the window before looking back and sighing. "Bella needs some help with the new material. You're welcome to join us?" Lovina shook her head and stepped back.

"No, I have to work. But thanks for the offer." Antonio nodded and held out her keys. Lovina took them and tried not to rip her hand away when his fingers brushed hers.

Lovina swallowed as her eyes widened after he went back into the room.

That stupid fucking feeling.

(-)

Antonio closed the door behind him and quickly sat across from Bella once again. "Thank you" she blurted. Antonio shrugged and gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry about it. I am more than happy to help you-"

"I meant Lovina" she interrupted. Antonio's smile fell when she slumped over. "She was really starting to worry me" she continued. "I don't know what happened, but I'm glad you sorted it out.

Antonio nodded and smiled again.

"So am I."

**MARRY CHRISTMAS IOAWNEQAOWIBTPBQABPTQW7B9TR9VNTCRNQCNTWNT**


	17. Nostalgia

Everything was slightly normal in Lovina's life once again. Bella was cheery and chatty, grandpa was exploiting her for labor, and Arthur was still grumpy and acted like he had a rod up his ass. But most importantly, Antonio was smiling again. His real smile, not the forced one that Lovina really didn't like. And they were talking again, having forgotten what almost happened in the dark for the right reason. Even though denying the fact that something was there hurt, Lovina figured she'd rather have the real Antonio back than not have him at all.

But Lovina's beloved normalcy was shattered on that one, cursed day. The infamous day that she dreaded every year. The day that made her feel like vomiting into other people's food. She hated everything about it; the name, the presents, the amount of babies born in December because of it.

Valentine's day.

She shuddered just hearing the name. Yet here she was, helping Feliciana pull her hair into a loose braid and look all sweet and girly and shit for that stupid potato freak. Feliciana bounced happily in her chair in anticipation for the evening. Lovina rolled her eyes and told her for the 29,374,621,938,401,234th time to sit the fuck down.

Lovina sighed and set the last piece in place before stepping back. Feliciana looked at herself in the mirror before squealing and turning around to hug her sister. "Grazie, sorella!" she cheered. Lovina rolled her eyes and pried her sister away. "I worked hard so don't ruin it" she scolded. Feliciana nodded and stood to get ready.

"Are you doing anything?" Feliciana asked as she pulled out two dresses. Lovina let out a dry laugh and flopped onto her bed. "Waiting tables" she replied, staring at the ceiling. Feliciana frowned and faced her sister.

"Why not?! It's a day of love, sorella!" she whined. Lovina just chuckled and shook her head. "I'm a cold hearted bitch, remember?"

Feliciana set the dresses down and sat beside her sister. "No you're not, how could you say something like that?" she whimpered. Lovina shrugged silently and continued to stare at the various stains and cracks on the ceiling.

"Is there someone you want to spend today with?" Feliciana asked quietly. "Is that why you don't like it?"

Lovina stiffened and remained silent. So what if no one left notes in her locker or there weren't little gifts waiting for her on her desks. It's not like she was expecting anything. Besides a particularly disgusting offer from Sadiq, no one showed any interest. And no one ever had.

Lovina knew for a fact she'd enjoy today if she had someone to share it with; who wouldn't? But it's not like she'd ever been with anyone before. So another year waiting tables for couples was no big deal. Valentine's day was a waste of money anyway. Flowers and chocolates and foods that were supposed to make you horny didn't prove anything.

That should just be something you do anyway. And Lovina didn't get any of that on a regular basis either, so who cares. Plus, public affection was so annoying. And for some god awful reason, Lovina had a heightened radar for it. Not just hugging or holding hands or fluffy shit like that. She saw the looks, the tiny gestures, and the body language. She could tell when a man wanted to get in someone's pants and when a woman wanted to be noticed.

It was truly a curse. Was it bad that for once, Lovina wanted to be called out for holding hands or kissing or something rather than being the one to scowl and turn away? If that happened even only once, at least she'd know that someone wanted to be open with her. Or at the very least, they weren't embarrassed by her.

God, she had never even been kissed before. It was pathetic, an eighteen year old girl with absolutely no romantic experience. Sure she had almost been kissed, but that wasn't supposed to have happened. That had been a mistake. Something to regret.

But no, being alone didn't bother Lovina.

(-)

Gilbert walked to Elizaveta's door triumphantly. This was his most awesome idea ever. Nothing could compare to what he knew would transpire. Gilbert knocked on the door using the secret knock they had come up with so many years ago; knock fast twice, pause, knock again, then a tap the door with your foot.

Gilbert put his hands back behind his back when he heard footsteps. Roderich's car wasn't in the driveway, so there would be no interruptions. Perfect.

Elizaveta knew who it was before she opened the door. She frowned when Gilbert laughed at her appearance. She was trying to make dinner and she didn't want to spill anything on her clothes, so that's why she was wearing a frilly apron. God that man was such a child.

"What do you want Gil?" she groaned. Gilbert chuckled and smirked when he pulled two old and battered wooden swords out from behind his back. Elizaveta's eyes widened as she took hers, running her fingers over the smooth wood.

"Where did you find these?" she marveled. Gilbert looked over his own and tossed it between his hands.

"So you do remember? I found them when I was going through some old stuff. Turns out my old man kept them." Gilbert smirked and pointed the old toy to her chest.

"I came here to challenge you to a duel!" he announced. "Unless you are afraid you cannot overpower my awesomeness" he snickered.

Elizaveta rolled her eyes and smacked his sword with her own. "Don't make me laugh. I beat your ass when we were kids, I'll beat your ass now."

"So you accept?" Gilbert cackled. Elizaveta had that gleam of power in her eyes as she nodded and invited him in.

"But we have to go outside, I don't want you to go crazy and break anything" she called as she headed for the patio, discarding her apron along the way.

Gilbert smirked and followed. "Right, wouldn't want Mr. Prissy-Pants to get his panties in a knot" he snickered as they stepped back into the night air. Elizaveta shot him a disappointed look before wielding her weapon once again.

"Let's do this, Beil-shit" she sneered. Gilbert took on the most ridiculous battle stance he could hold and smirked.

"Whenever you're ready, Heder-farty" he shot back. Without warning, Elizaveta lunged for him. And so the battle did commence. And what a battle it was. Swords clashed, wrists were smacked, ears were flicked, and shins were kicked. After a good five minutes of the most intense duel there ever was, both warriors stepped back, panting.

"You…you've gotten slopply…Liz" Gilbert panted, making a last ditch effort to win. Elizaveta plunged her sword under his armpit and watched him stagger back.

"Who's sloppy?" she teased. Gilbert kept the sword wedged between his side and his arm and fell back onto the ground. "You have defeated me" he croaked. Elizaveta pranced over triumphantly and placed her foot on his chest. "As usual" she replied casually, putting a bit more pressure.

Gilbert let out a strangled 'oomph' before grabbing her ankle and pulling her down beside him. Elizaveta glared and stuck out her tongue at him as she lay on her back. "Sore loser" she grumbled. Gilbert frowned and poked her side.

"You were a sore winner" he whined. Gilbert sighed when she pouted and crossed her arms. He caught her smiling and knew she had fun. Of course she did, she was Liz; she ate this stupid shit up.

"I missed this" Gilbert murmured as he stared at her. She looked so beautiful with her long brown hair sprawled around her, wild and loose. Gilbert loved seeing that all too familiar fire shining in her eyes. It reminded him of the girl he fell in love with.

"I missed this too" she responded quietly as she continued to look up at the sky. Gilbert scowled when he heard the patio door open.

"Elizaveta? Is that you, and Gilbert? What are you doing out here?" Roderich called. Gilbert thrust his sword into the air while he remained lying down on the ground.

"Sword fighting, motherfucker" he cheered. Elizaveta had to cover her mouth to hold back giggles. Gilbert leaned his face closer to her and let his lips brush over her ear.

"I bet Roddy doesn't know how to use his sword like I do" he whispered. Elizaveta's breath hitched when his breath tickled her ear. Gilbert quickly pulled away when he heard footsteps. He chuckled when he saw an extremely annoyed Roderich leaning over them. Gilbert smiled and waved cheekily.

"Hi, Edel-poop" he chirped. Elizaveta lost it. She had to roll over, unable to contain her laughter. Roderich rolled his eyes and pulled Elizaveta up. "Gilbert, you haven't called me that since the seventh grade" he groaned.

Gilbert chucked and stood up with a grunt. "Sorry, the nostalgia's taking over" he sighed while stretching out his back. "That was awesome, Liz. Brings back memories." Elizaveta nodded and laughed.

"I'd invite you to join us for dinner, but it's Valentine's day…" Elizaveta started. Gilbert hid the pain in his eyes and smiled. "Say no more" he sighed before heading to the gate out to the front of the house. He didn't turn back when Elizaveta said goodbye. He didn't want to see Roderich giving her a disappointed glare. If he did, he'd probably punch him in the jaw.

**I am so proud of my awesome (get it) nicknames for those three goofballs. I refuse to apologize for Roddy's. 'Edelstein' is hard to make a nickname out of, so I settled for throwing in 'poop'. Because it's immature and poop is always funny. Where would he get that name? Let's be real, he probably shit his pants in kindergarten or something and Gil never let him live it down. I think I'll go with that.**


	18. San Valentino

After 30 minutes of going back and forth between two painfully similar dresses, Feliciana finally pranced into the restaurant to meet her idiot boyfriend, who was already waiting for her. Lovina clenched her fists and trudged behind her, holding back vicious comments when she fucking leapt into his arms.

Roma came out of the kitchen momentarily to greet the sap. Ludwig winced when Roma's hand clamped onto his shoulder. The older man laughed and made small talk while Lovina leaned against the wall and glared. Ludwig nodded along nervously while Feliciana clung to his hand. Finally, it was time for the stupid lovebirds to leave.

Lovina marched forward and grabbed Ludwig's collar, hissing a colorful threat that involved dull utensils and castration before sending the two off. Roma chuckled and wrapped his arms around Lovina's waist.

"Bambina, why don't you spend today with someone special?" he cooed. Lovina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Because that requires someone actually wanting to spend the day with me" she sighed before pulling out of his grip.

Roma looked his granddaughter up and down as she walked over to the wall where her apron was hung. Only then did she let her shoulders slump and her eyes glaze over. Lovina fiddled with the hem of it as she let out a heavy breath. Who likes Valentine's Day anyway? No one. It's such a hassle and it only causes stress and puts strain on relationships.

Lovina's fist tightened around the fabric. Why should she complain, she didn't even have a relationship. And she didn't want one. Lovina didn't need someone to hug her or hold her or cup her cheek or tell her she was right or watch movies with her and share popcorn with her, or-

Lovina's breath hitched when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. She was gently turned around and forced to face her grandfather, who eyed her sympathetically. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

Lovina ripped away and threw on her apron as she muttered an "I'm fine" before heading out to do her job. Lovina groaned when she saw Arthur walk in.

"What the hell are you doing here, don't you have somewhere better to be?" she snapped. Arthur rolled his eyes and plopped down in his chair. He hated today just as much as Lovina did.

God, why was he so pissy? At least he had someone with _some_ interest. "Shouldn't you be spending the night with Francis?" she added bitterly. Arthur shot her the dirtiest look he could muster. "No. And who told you about that?!" he snapped.

Lovina rolled her eyes as she walked away. "If I have to hear anything about your 'derrière' again, I'm going to lose it" she called back. Arthur sighed and rested his face in his hands, muttering curses that would make _Lovina_ blush.

Lovina quickly took orders and gave them to her grandfather. She really wasn't in the mood to put on an act tonight. She just wanted it to be over. The amount of couples in the restaurant really pissed her off.

Lovina desperately wanted to work in the kitchen, but with Feli gone, that was impossible. She didn't want to deal with people. All she wanted to do was angrily chop shit up, put it into a searing hot pan, and cook the shit out of it. Was that too much to ask for?

(-)

Antonio shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked along the street. He really didn't feel like spending the night alone. After dinner he planned to just go to a bar, get drunk, and find someone to spend the night with. He needed a distraction from…well everything.

But first he had to go to this damn restaurant Francis suggested. He had nothing against Italian food, but he wasn't in the mood tonight. He only promised to go because Francis told him there was apparently an incredible waitress there who was 'to die for'. Antonio smirked to himself as he approached the doors.

If he played his cards right, maybe he wouldn't have to find a bar.

Antonio had to admit, he liked the place. It was homey and it had a real traditional feel to it. Antonio was surprised to find Heracles standing, waiting to show him a table.

"Heracles, I didn't know you worked here" Antonio chuckled. The kid barely stayed awake in class. How he managed a job was beyond Antonio. Heracles gave him a small smile and nodded.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Heracles asked politely as he led Antonio to an empty table. "Just one?" he added skeptically. Antonio laughed and sat. "I'm just grabbing a quick bite."

Heracles nodded and gave him a menu. "Someone will be with you shortly. We're a short-staffed, so it may be a little longer" Heracles said quietly before walking away.

Antonio opened his menu and glanced around. Heracles was right, there were hardly any waiters. But his eyes did fall on one woman, who was leaning over and placing a meal in front of another customer. She seemed to linger around another man, sitting in a corner, who looked like someone shat on his desk.

Antonio chuckled to himself and shook his head. Maybe Francis wasn't a terrible friend after all. Antonio stared at the menu and looked over the wine list. Antonio put on his most charming smirk when he heard light footsteps approaching.

"Anto- Mr. Carriedo?"

The smirk was gone when he lowered the menu. Francis was a terrible, god awful friend.

(-)

After spending a few moments away from Arthur, Lovina decided to venture back. Might as well get him out of there as soon as possible.

"I'll take a glass of wine" he mumbled before she could even open her mouth. Lovina smirked and crossed her arms. "Adventurous today, aren't we Artie?" she sneered. Arthur was about to shoot something back but suddenly stopped and chuckled.

Lovina pouted and narrowed her eyes. "What's so funny?" she snapped. Arthur pointed to some loser looking at his menu and laughed again.

"That wanker was staring at you, dear" he snickered. Lovina let out a frustrated groan and slumped over. "I don't want to deal with perverts tonight" she whined. Arthur shrugged.

"Oh come now, don't be so sour. I thought you liked weaseling money out of them" he scolded. Lovina shot him a dirty look before going back to brooding.

"Go make lemonade out of lemons" Arthur urged with a smirk. Lovina rolled her eyes before stomping away. She made sure her dress was smoothed down and her…hair looked good. "He better buy a whole fucking bottle of our best" she grumbled before plastering on a smile.

Lovina pulled out her notebook and leaned in across the table ever so slightly. She was about to sweet talk her way into a twenty percent tip, but choked on her words when she finally got a good look at his face. Arthur was a terrible, god-awful friend.

"L-Lovi, you work here too?" Antonio squeaked when he saw her. Lovina didn't say anything. Oh god, this was bad. This was so, so bad. He was going to murder Francis

"I-I um…y-yes" Lovina finally stuttered nervously. Antonio chuckled nervously and shrank back in his chair. "Now I know where you got your inspiration from. Francis suggested I come-"

"Francis, put you up to this?!" she hissed. Lovina groaned and smacked her palm to her forehead. "That stupid bastard!" she snapped, earning a few stares from other diners. Lovina let out a heavy sigh when she glanced down at Antonio.

"Fine. What can I get you?" she asked quietly. Antonio politely requested whatever she suggested both to drink and eat and kept his eyes down. Lovina nodded and walked away stiffly, heading straight for Arthur.

Before he even knew she was there, Arthur received a harsh punch to the shoulder.

"What was that for?! I bruise easily!" he whined. Lovina smacked the back of his head and glared.

"Lemonade out of lemons?! How about instead, I give you a million tiny paper cuts and squeeze the fucking lemons all over you?!" she hissed.

The way that girl could instill fear into a grown man was remarkable.

Lovina angrily poured him a glass of wine before trudging back to her favorite customer's table. Antonio smiled as she walked over.

"Uh, so how long have you worked here?" he asked hesitantly as she filled his glass. Lovina paused and looked up quizzically.

"My family owns it" she muttered as she finished. Antonio took a sip and nodded. He was impressed; she had good taste. Sweet, but not in an overpowering way.

"Is that good?" she mumbled. Antonio smiled and raised it too her. "Perfect" he chuckled. Lovina just nodded and turned away. Antonio let out a defeated sigh and swished his wine. So much for a distraction.

(-)

Two glasses later, Arthur was starting to feel the buzz. He smiled sheepishly and snapped his fingers at Lovina, motioning her over. Lovina rolled her eyes and gave him a disappointed glare when she came over.

"Arthur, you're even more annoying when you're drunk, make it quick" she groaned. Arthur pouted and smacked his hand onto the table.

"I am not drunk! You think…you think _I _would get drunk off of, of what? Some of your wishy washy _Italian_ rubbish? Psh, I can hold rum any day!"

Lovina rolled her eyes and started to walk away, but was stopped when Arthur grabbed her wrist.

"Now hold on. I was just curious as to why you were so sore to me earlier about that man. That wasn't very nice dear" he croaked. Lovina pulled her hand away and flicked his ear. Arthur rubbed it bitterly and stuck his tongue out at her.

"What? Do you know him? Is he a long lost cousin? Does he owe you money? You're not in the mafia are you? Lovina darling, that's a road that will only lead you to trouble."

Lovina had to cover her mouth to hide her smile. Arthur was pathetic when he was drunk. The older man chuckled lightly and gave her a smug smirk before pulling her closer and failing miserably to drop his voice.

"Do you find him attractive? Does Lovina have a crush? Oh! Is he your secret lover? You Italians-"

Lovina clamped her hand over Arthur's mouth. "I think you've had enough, Kirkland" she snarled. Arthur just continued to giggle and pulled her hand away.

"I've struck a chord, haven't I?" He chortled. Arthur sighed and pulled his wallet out. "I won't pester you further about your lover-"

"Arthur!" she snapped. Arthur just chuckled and shook his head. "You are the silliest girl I have ever met" he called as she walked away.

Lovina grabbed Antonio's meal and set it before him. There was hardly anybody left. This place seemed to be getting less and less popular.

Before she left Antonio's table, Lovina felt a warm hand placed on her shoulder. Arthur gave her a small smile and placed a quick kiss on her temple. "Happy Valentine's Day, love" he murmured.

Antonio's face burned while he watched the man squeeze her arm affectionately. Lovina grabbed him before he walked away.

"Please take a cab" she requested quietly. Arthur chucked a bit and nodded. "For you" he mumbled before mussing up her hair and walking out.

Antonio couldn't stand the fact that a small smile crept onto Lovina's face after he left. Lovina looked up at Antonio and blushed.

"That was Arthur" she explained with a light chuckle. "He gets weird when he's drunk…"

Antonio nodded and took a bite of the food before him. It was really good, but not as good as what Lovina had made him. Lovina sighed and glanced around the near-empty restaurant.

"No date?" she asked Antonio passively. Antonio smirked and shook his head. "You?" he asked back. Lovina cocked an eyebrow and leaned onto the table.

"What do you think?" she responded dryly. Antonio set down his fork and looked her up and down.

"What do you mean? Honestly, I would've thought you'd be giving an order rather than taking it tonight" he shrugged. Lovina slid into the seat across from him and narrowed her eyes.

"Why? If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly relationship material" she snorted. Antonio frowned and leaned forward.

"What are you talking about, Lovina? Maybe you aren't cut out for a silly high school relationship, but that doesn't mean you aren't cut out for one at all."

Lovina crossed her arms and glanced away. "You aren't making any sense" she snapped. Antonio stared at her and shook his head.

"Lovina, stop selling yourself short. Romance means next to nothing for almost everyone in high school. I promise, a girl like you will be turning down men left and right soon enough."

Lovina stiffened and brought her wide eyes back to him. "E-Excuse me?!" she stammered. Antonio gave her a small smile and glanced away.

"Lovina, you are not suited for a high school relationship. Believe me. You are so much better than that. It's hard to explain, and it's hard to understand, but I have no doubt in my mind you will find someone."

Lovina gulped and shrank back. "That was, um, a very..honest answer" she mumbled, desperately hoping her face wasn't as red as the tomato sauce on his plate. Antonio blinked before slumping back as well and twirling his fork around his dinner.

"So, you're grandfather owns this restaurant?" he asked shakily. Lovina nodded and glanced around, hoping to see more customers waiting for her magnificent service. Oh great, the dump was empty.

"Yes, but someday I'll take over" she sighed. Antonio smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Have any big plans?" he teased. Lovina returned the smirk and took another look around.

"Huge plans. I'm going to whip this place back into shape" she stated proudly. Lovina narrowed her eyes and pouted when she heard soft chuckling in front of her.

"It's true!" she protested. "Look, see that space over there?" she said as she pointed to an empty corner of the restaurant. Antonio looked over his shoulder, then returned his attention back to her.

"I want to make this place a night spot. I'll put in a stage and get some new tables and chairs and there can be performers. Musicians, comedians, anything that'll draw people in."

Antonio smiled as her eyes lit up while she searched the restaurant for other changes to be made.

"And that dinky bar" she groaned. "What I wouldn't give to have Nonno let me spiff it up. We could hire a fancy bartender, one of those guys that'll do tricks while they mix drinks" she continued eagerly.

"Lovina, all of that renovation will be for nothing if you're not cooking" he cooed. Lovina rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Of course I'll be cooking. What, you think I'm going to be waiting tables in my own damn restaurant?" she scoffed. Antonio laughed and shook his head.

"I wish you would talk about your dream more often, Lovi" he sighed. "The way you light up, it's wonderful."

Lovina tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and looked away. "D-don't be ridiculous" she scolded quietly. Antonio's smile widened when he caught her lip curve upward.

"No, I mean it. Whenever you're passionate about something, God, you just seem so bright" he continued.

Both Lovina and Antonio jumped in their seats when they heard a gruff voice clear his throat beside them.


	19. Girl Talk

Roma Vargas was an extremely protective man. Nothing mattered more to him than family. And he had little family left, considering he outlived both his wife and only daughter. But he had Feliciana and Lovina, and that was really all he needed.

So catching an older man with Lovina, clearly flirting alone with her was beyond infuriating. Especially since said man had already made Roma uneasy before that night. When he popped out of the kitchen, he didn't expect to see her flustered while that man, her _teacher_, spoke endearing words. Roma didn't have to hear the conversation to know he was courting.

And then, he had the gall to just stare at her while she spoke. The fact that the naïve girl was just buying into it was not comforting in the slightest. Deciding he had seen enough, Roma stormed over to break up the little 'date' transpiring in his restaurant.

Roma crossed his arms and cleared his throat, causing the two to jump in their seats. Lovina immediately shrank back. She knew what that look meant. Antonio smiled nervously and faced the older man.

"Mr. Vargas, it is good to see you. This is a wonderful business you have here" he praised anxiously.

"We're closing" Roma responded coldly before facing Lovina, who tried to hide her terror. Roma Vargas was a nightmare when he was angry. "Bambina, the check" he ordered. Antonio had never seen her so obedient, so mild before. And he really didn't like the way Roma barked an order at her.

"Carriedo, right?" Roma snapped, bringing back the green eyes that were following Lovina as she headed toward the counter. After Antonio nodded, Roma glanced over his shoulder, making sure Lovina wasn't watching. Seeing the coast was clear, Roma leaned onto the table and glared at Antonio.

"Stay away from my granddaughter, or so help me god you will face the consequences" he hissed. Antonio never let his eyes leave the older man's as he shrank back. He had no right to deny the hostile request. He knew Roma was right.

"Yes sir" he responded quietly and respectfully. Roma pulled back, a bit surprised. He had received no denial that the thought had even crossed the younger man's mind or that a line had been crossed. Roma didn't know if Antonio's self awareness was comforting or unsettling. But he was really leaning toward the latter.

Lovina quickly came back and watched anxiously as Antonio paid for his meal. Her eyes flickered between him and her grandfather as Antonio finally rose and bid her goodnight. Her heart sank when he didn't even look at her and just mumbled a half hearted farewell.

Roma placed his hand on her shoulder as Antonio left. But Lovina wordlessly shrugged it away before bolting and heading for the doors after him.

"Antonio, wait!" she called, slowing when she reached the sidewalk. Antonio halted and sighed, keeping his back facing her. Lovina let out a small, relieved sigh when he finally turned and walked back to her, eyes locked onto the ground.

Lovina just stood there for a moment, staring. Her mouth felt dry, and she had forgotten why she even followed him out there in the first place.

"Will you be my Valentine?' she finally blurted. Lovina clamped her hand over her mouth as soon as the words poured out of her mouth. She felt her knees go weak when Antonio tensed in front of her. God she was such an idiot.

Lovina quickly spun on her heel, desperate to conceal the embarrassment strewn across her face. "I-I'm sorry. That was stupid. I'm stupid" she mumbled back, clenching her fists. Lovina nearly jumped out of her skin when a warm hand gently encased her own and brushed against her tense fingers.

When Lovina turned around, she met a very grim Antonio. But those eyes, those damn bright green eyes were dancing.

"Yes."

(-)

Roma watched the exchange furiously. This man was either brave, stupid, or most likely; both. His blood boiled when the two shared a too affectionate, too lengthy embrace. Though he couldn't see his lips moving, Roma witnessed Antonio say something that made Lovina's eyes widen and her face flush.

Roma stood angrily and pointed to a nearby chair when Lovina walked back in. The girl gulped and stared at the piece of furniture before hesitantly sinking into it.

"Lovina, what did I explicitly tell you to do in regards to that man?" he snapped. Lovina fidgeted with her hands and stared at the ground. "Answer me. Now" he followed up through gritted teeth. Lovina gripped the edge of her seat until her knuckles turned white.

"To stay away from him" she answered quietly. Roma paced for a moment before stopping in front of her. "What happened out there?" he asked hotly, pointing to the street out the window. Lovina scuffed her heel against the floor and sighed.

She felt really guilty. She thought about all the times she had gone behind her grandfather's back over one person. All the times she lied about how much time she spent with him afterschool, about seeing him outside of school, and though she didn't intend to, she had snuck out to meet him again. She didn't dare mention what almost happened in a dim classroom one afternoon or the warm feeling that seemed to linger when he was around.

Despite her guilt, Lovina couldn't bring herself to tell him that she felt like melting in to a puddle on the ground when Antonio's lips grazed her ear and his hot breath tickled her skin as he called her 'amada' again.

(-)

Feliciana was a life saver. Lovina wondered if god himself told her to burst through the doors when she did, giddy over her perfect date with her perfect potato boyfriend. Lovina didn't even mind her squealing over the bastard because Feliciana sure as hell saved her ass from a long and uncomfortable conversation.

So that's why Lovina was sprawled on her bed, pretending to listen to Feliciana chirp on and on about her wonderful boyfriend.

"Feliciana, can I ask you something?" she interrupted quietly. Feliciana shut up immediately. Lovina hardly ever engaged in a conversation when she blabbered about Ludwig. Feliciana eagerly sat on the floor in front of her and nodded.

Lovina sighed and stared at the ceiling. She just loved talking to her sister about relationships. "Do you and Potat-Ludwig have, I don't know…pet names for each other?" she asked quietly. Feliciana's eyes widened. This was not like Lovina at all.

"Um, I guess? I call him Luddy and sometimes even tesoro. He calls me Feli, but nothing other than that, for the most part. He's kinda serious, but I like that about him." Feliciana thought for a moment then giggled to herself.

"One time he called me schätzchen, and got really embarrassed when I caught him. I had to ask big brother Gil what it meant. It was so cute!" she squealed.

Lovina hid a wince. The shortened name and slip of the tongue sounded all too familiar. "Feli, how did you know you liked…Ludwig? That you wanted to be with him?" she asked, almost at a whisper.

Feliciana stared at her before hugging her knees to her chest. "I-I just did" she sighed. "I don't know. We've known each other for so long and as we got older, I felt weird around him. But not a bad weird, just…weird. I kind of liked it. I still feel all warm and fuzzy inside whenever I'm near him."

Lovina's eyes flew open. Warm. Strange and warm, but strange in the most wonderful way. "Feli, do you love Ludwig?" Lovina whispered. Feliciana blushed and smiled.

"Yeah, I think I do…I know I do" she chucked lightly. Lovina's chest felt tight as she rolled over to face her sister. Feliciana looked completely perplexed, no doubt confused by Lovina's behavior. Lovina was confused by her own behavior.

"Feli, I'm scared" she whimpered. Feliciana immediately rose and lay down next to her sister, pulling her close and holding her against her chest.

"I was scared too, Sorella. But it's ok, because it's good to be scared. If we weren't scared, we'd be reckless and get hurt." Lovina let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

"I'm so pathetic. Coming to my little sister about romance and stupid shit like that" she groaned. Feliciana giggled and tucked Lovina's head under her chin. Lovina was amazed by how understanding her usually air headed sister was. But Feliciana was smarter than most gave her credit for.

"He's lucky to have earned a place in your heart" Feliciana mumbled before placing a light kiss to the top of Lovina's head. "Not many people can pull that off" she added light heartedly. Lovina rolled her eyes and sighed.

Maybe her sister could help her through this.

**Yay for Italian sibling love. I hope it worked out ok and (for lack of better words) makes sense? Or is 'realistic' in a sense? Ah whatever, I just hoped you liked it. And please don't hate on Roma, he's loving and protective and I feel like I always make him look like the bad guy, but I really don't mean too. He's in a tough situation and I promise, you will see how understanding he is in the future.**

**Schätzchen/Tesoro are like sweetheart or darling in German/Italian. Those two dorks.**


	20. One Lucky Bastard

Lovina drummed her fingers on her desk anxiously. Class was supposed to have started five minutes ago, but Antonio wasn't there. And the last time she had seen him was on the fourteenth of February (she refused to even think about the name). Lovina's cheeks heated up every time she thought about that night. God, she was so stupid. There was no point in asking him that stupid question in the first place. There had been, what, three hours left? He only said yes to be polite.

And then that conversation with her sister, ugh. Sure, it had been sweet at the time, but Lovina swore she was getting closer and closer to shooting herself in the foot each time her sister brought it up. And now, class was supposed to have started ten minutes ago. Lovina could already tell that today was going to suck some major balls.

Lovina let out a sigh of relief when she finally heard the door creak open. But the relief vanished when she saw someone that was definitely not Antonio. Lovina glared at the man with bright blue eyes and spiky blonde hair that trudged in.

"Sup, sorry I'm late kiddos, just got the message to haul my ass over here like thirty minutes ago" he groaned as he threw his bag onto the desk. _Antonio's _desk. Some of the other classmates chuckled at the substitute's lack of professionalism. Had it been under any other circumstances, Lovina would've laughed when she saw Ludwig crinkle his nose in distaste like the hard ass he was.

"So I'm Mathias, er um…Mr. Køhler…shit, what class am I subbing for again?" he sighed as he shrugged off his black coat. Lovina rolled her eyes when she saw his get up. Who the hell wears fire truck fucking red pants with a matching shirt?

Lovina was about to ask where the hell her teacher was, but another girl already beat her to it. Mathias blinked at the question before scanning over a sheet of paper.

"'Dear Mr. Køhler', that's me…'you are needed to substitute in room 121 for Antonio Carriedo due to his admittance into the hospital'. Your teacher's in the hospital, I guess" he mumbled with a shrug.

Lovina's heart stopped. N-No, that wasn't possible, she had seen him on Friday night! Lovina felt a hard nudge from beside her. Bella was staring at her, extremely concerned. "Lovina, you look pale, are you sick?" she asked quickly.

Lovina apparently caught Mr. Køhler's attention, because before she knew it he was bending over her, also concerned. "Like your friend says. You alright…" Mathias paused to glance at the seating chart. "Lovina?" he finished before looking back at her.

"W-What happened?! Is he ok?!" she blurted. Others in the room stared as she gulped and shrank back. Mathias tilted his head and gave her a small smile. "They didn't say. But I'm sure your teacher is fine. So don't sweat it" he chuckled. Mathias sighed and stepped back before resting his hands on his hips.

"English, English, English…" he muttered as he looked around. He had no idea what he was doing.

"We're reading Dante's Inferno" Lovina muttered under her breath while rolling her eyes. Mathias brightened up and stepped closer to Lovina.

"Hey…Lovina?" he whispered not so discreetly. "Do me a solid and fill me in on what the hell we're doing" he begged. Lovina let out a small groan before standing and going to the board. He was worse than Antonio.

"We were talking about the seventh circle of hell" She sighed. "Have you read Dante's Inferno?" she asked as she scribbled on the board, trying to ignore her classmates' condescending whispers. Mathias chuckled and leaned against the board.

"Not since high school, kæreste" he smirked smugly. Lovina shot him a warning glare before stepping back and brushing the chalk from her hands. Mathias held up his hands defensively and looked up at her writing.

"The seventh circle is dedicated to violence. I wrote out all of the punishments for each ring. I think Anto-" Lovina cut herself off and bit her tongue. Lovina prayed the damn sub didn't catch that. According to his skeptical glance, he did.

"Um, Mr. Carriedo wanted to talk about the middle ring; self harm. Just tell them to discuss it and make sure they don't claw each other's eyes out in a battle over who can misinterpret the text better."

Matthias stared at her a moment before laughing. It was clear she was his greatest ally through this endeavor.

(-)

Lovina gripped the wheel so hard, her knuckles turned white. She really, really hated hospitals, but prayed she came to the right one. Lovina quickly parked her car and made her way inside. Lovina immediately realized she was out of her element. She had no idea what wing he was in, much less why he was there in the first place. All she knew was that he wasn't in the maternity ward.

Lovina just marched through the front entrance and headed toward what she hoped was a reception desk that could provide her with some answers. A cheery young man who couldn't be more than a couple years older than her turned his chair around and faced her.

"What can I help you with today?" the small, violet eyed man asked politely. Lovina gulped and looked him up and down, before spotting a name tag.

"Um, Tino? I-I'm looking for someone. Antonio Carriedo. H-He was admitted between Friday night and this morning…" Lovina gulped and glanced down at her shaking hand. Apparently Tino noticed her nervousness and gave her a warm smile.

"Let's see what I can find" he chirped as he typed something onto his computer. Lovina glanced around anxiously. She really hated hospitals. "He was admitted Sunday night. He's in the east wing, third floor."

Lovina nodded, but lingered at the front desk. "Can you tell me what happened?" Lovina asked quietly. The nurse looked at the computer again and frowned. "Car accident. Hit by someone who was intoxicated" Tino responded solemnly before looking back at the girl.

"D-Don't cry!" he stammered as he rose to meet her. Lovina turned away and scowled. "I-I'm not fucking crying!" she snapped, wiping at her eyes. The man stepped forward and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, he's got Ber looking after him!" Tino chuckled. Lovina gave him a skeptical look when he chuckled. "My husband. He's one of the best they've got here!" he added as he walked her to the elevator.

Lovina nodded and mumbled a thanks before heading up. Lovina fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as more people filed in after her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know just how badly he had been injured. If he had to stay at a hospital overnight, and if he was still here…

No. He was fine. Tino said he was fine. He has a good doctor. Antonio was fine. Lovina groaned when she realized she didn't know what room he was in. Lovina sighed and headed for another desk.

Room 338. That couldn't be too hard to find. Lovina crinkled her nose as she wandered down the hallways. At least the other patients around didn't look too bad. And there were some kids goofing off, so that was reassuring.

Lovina halted when she finally reached the room. She slowly drew back the curtain and held her breath. She had never felt so relieved in her life. He was just lying there casually, typing furiously on his laptop with a pen in his mouth. But Lovina felt a lump rise in her throat when she saw a cast on his leg and bandages wrapped around his head.

Lovina couldn't stop a choked gasp from escaping, causing Antonio to look her way. His eyes widened when he recognized her and his jaw slacked, letting the pen fall into his lap. Lovina couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe.

"L-Lovi, what are you doing here?" he squeaked. Lovina narrowed her eyes and stormed in further. "You got hit by a fucking car, what do you mean 'what am I doing here'?" she hissed. Antonio scratched the back of his head then winced and the flash of pain the gesture brought.

"I think I was going for why you're here…" he clarified quietly. That stung a bit.

"Sorry for being worried when some goof barges in instead of you and says 'hey, guess what?! You're teacher could be dying in a hospital, but who knows because I don't have any fucking details'" she grumbled. Lovina was ready to go off on him again, but was distracted by the buzzing in her pocket. Lovina quickly whipped out her phone and answered the call.

"What?!" she snapped.

"_Bambina, where are you?!"_

Lovina almost dropped the phone. Shit, if nonno found out she was with Antonio…

"_You're not staying after school with Carrieod, right?"_

Lovina winced when she heard his icy tone. "N-No, he wasn't even in school today, ask Feli!" she replied quickly. Antonio looked away bitterly. He knew who she was talking to. He knew she really shouldn't be here.

Lovina turned away and stepped out. But Antonio heard her lie and say she was with Bella. He let out a heavy sigh and stared up at the ceiling. What was he doing? He shouldn't be letting some girl sneak around for him. It was completely irresponsible and inappropriate.

Antonio didn't turn to look at Lovina when she entered. "Lovina, you should go. I'm fine and I don't want you to worry your grandfather" he sighed. Lovina frowned and came up right next to him. "Please, I just want to know what happened. I was worried…" she mumbled softly.

Antonio gulped and sighed again. He knew if he looked back at her, it would all be over. "You shouldn't be. Everything's alright. Just a broken ankle and a couple of small fractures. I'll be back before you know it."

Now Lovina was starting to get pissed. "You think that's alright?! Have you ever been through driver's ed? Because all they do is play videos about car accidents to scare the living shit out of you. Do you know what could've happened?!" she croaked. Antonio was quickly losing this battle.

"Lovi, please-"

"You could've died, or been in a coma, or something like that, ok?! And I don't care if I'm over reacting. I've never been even remotely close to losing anyone ever before and I just…"Antonio whipped his head toward her when she trailed off. Lovina bowed her head and stared at the floor.

"I was scared" she whispered. Antonio gave up. He couldn't fight it anymore. "Lovi, look at me" he murmured. Lovina kept her head down. Antonio chuckled to himself and shook his head. She was so damn stubborn.

Antonio gently took her hand and pulled her closer. Lovina cringed when she saw the bruises covering his arm. "Lovi, nothing bad is going to happen to me. I'm going to be fine" he sighed.

Lovina nodded and pulled away. "I'm sorry, I just…" Lovina groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I'm such an idiot" she mumbled. Antonio frowned and shifted closer to her.

"Lovina, you're not an idiot for caring" he scolded.

"Yes I am!" she snapped. "Because, you-you don't need me to care, but I just do. God, why do I act like such an idiot around you?!"

Antonio sat up, ignoring the pain in his ribs, and gently pulled her down beside him, seating her next to him on the hospital bed. "Lovi, I'm so happy you care. I wanted you to care" he chuckled. Lovina gave him a brief glance before turning away and scowling.

"Don't be ridiculous" she mumbled under her breath. Antonio sighed and rested his hand over hers. "It's true…amada" he murmured back. Lovina pulled her hands away and stared at the ground. She was sick of this. She was sick of his pity and she was sick of being treated like a sick puppy. He was clearly just trying to be polite and accommodate for her feelings, because that's the kind of person he was.

But Lovina couldn't take it anymore. "Why do you call me that?" she snapped. Antonio immediately drew back, disgusted with himself for crossing a clearly defined boundary. Was he truly that unable to control himself? He was a grown man for god's sake and he couldn't even hold himself back over one girl.

"I made you uncomfortable?" Antonio more stated than asked. "Please forgive me. You are special to me, that's all. But you're right. You always are." And she was. Why was she always the one to put him in his place? He was acting like an over-eager child who had no sense of when to stop.

Lovina and Antonio let out a small yelp when the curtains were ripped open.

"Okie dokie Antonio, Ber asked me to…" Tino stopped and smiled when he saw Lovina. "Good, you found him!" he cheered as Lovina stood. Tino blinked and looked between them before chuckling nervously. "Oh, was I interrupting something?" he asked coyly.

"No!" Antonio and Lovina responded in unison. Tino shrugged and looked back at the clipboard he was holding. "Whatever you say. Anywhoo, I just need to run some quick tests."

Lovina nodded and looked back to Antonio. "I have to go" she sighed. "Get your ass back to that school as soon as you can. Your sub is an idiot" she added with an unsubtle eye roll. Antonio chuckled and nodded.

"Of course. Thank you for coming, Lovi."

Lovina looked him up and down before swallowing and bending down to place a quick kiss on both of his cheeks like the proper Italian she was. Antonio let out a heavy breath as she walked out. Tino smiled at Antonio as he checked the monitor.

"You're lucky. She seems nice" he sighed. Antonio clenched his fists and stared at nothing in particular. "I don't deserve her" he replied quietly. Tino just laughed and scrawled something down.

"That's what everyone says."

But Antonio really didn't. He really, really didn't. "I saw her during the crash, you know" Antonio mumbled, not sure if he was talking to the nurse or himself. Tino shuffled through some papers and glanced at Antonio through the corner of his eye.

"What do you mean?"

Antonio leaned back into the hospital bed and tried to get comfortable. "The whole 'life flashing before your eyes' thing. I saw a lot of things, but I know I saw her."

Tino gave Antonio a knowing grin as he began to head out. "Guess that means she's pretty important" he giggled.

Antonio silently nodded as the nurse left.

**Tino ships it.**

**HE WOULD BE THE CUTEST NURSE EVER.**

**And you've read twenty chapters and all you got was a kiss on the cheek. Suckers.**

**Also, I don't know how to hospital. So if the whole thing sounds weird and inaccurate, lo siento…**

**Mathias-Denmark**

**Tino-Finland**

**Ber (Berwald)-Sweden**

**Kæreste- sweetheart in Danish. In context it's supposed to be patronizing rather than affectionate.**


	21. Field Trip

Class was starting to go downhill fast with Mr. Carriedo gone. Mathias was completely hopeless in both teaching and keeping control in the classroom. So no one was surprised when Ludwig stepped up and tried to take charge. Even though Lovina hated the potato faced bastard, he was better than nothing.

But two days into Ludwig's coup d'etat, the idiot had to go and get sick, leaving room 121 in disarray once again. Lovina groaned and rested her head on his desk. She had to admit, their shitty sub was trying. And it kind of was an emergency situation. But even she was annoyed by the immaturity of her class mates.

Eventually, Mathias gave up and passed out worksheets the real teacher had sent them and just let everyone get them done. Lovina scowled when she saw her least favorite classmate slid into the seat next to her.

"Go away, Sadiq. I'm not in the mood" she hissed. Sadiq just laughed and scooted his chair closer. "Look, I need help. And you're going to give it to me" he cackled. Lovina gave him one annoyed glance before rolling her eyes and turning back to your paper.

"Quit being such a stubborn ass" Sadiq groaned. "I'm sure you already have all the answers. Mr. Carriedo probably gives you answers to everything" he snickered, desperately trying to push her buttons. Lovina could be so entertaining.

"No, he doesn't. He can't send me answers telepathically, dipshit. And even if he could, he wouldn't" she snarled. Sadiq narrowed his eyes and tried to take her paper away. He was sick of her bullshit.

"Come on, _Lovi_."

Lovina tried not to let him see her cringe when he dared to use Antonio's nickname for her. She didn't like the way it sounded coming out of his mouth.

"We all know how you got As in this class" Sadiq continued as he leaned back and stretched in his seat.

"I studied and do my own work" she snapped. Sadiq only chuckled and pulled her chair closer. "I'm sure you work very hard for Mr. Carriedo" he chuckled into her ear. Lovina shoved him away as the bell rang, more than eager to get the hell away from that creep.

Lovina grabbed her things and pushed Sadiq's words out of her mind. They didn't matter and she really didn't care what he thought anyway. She just wanted Antonio to come back as soon as possible so things would be back to normal.

(-)

Lovina glanced back in the rearview mirror with disgust. How Feliciana had convinced her to let that dumbass potato tag along was beyond her. Even if he was the reason they were going in the first place. Dumb and dumber (Gilbert and Francis, respectively) offered to let Ludwig, Feliciana, and Ludwig join their little field trip to see Antonio. Feliciana, being the oh so perfect saint she was, convinced their class to sign a card for their beloved teacher. Ludwig was morally obligated to come so Gilbert didn't accidentally break something and kill someone in the process and Lovina…

Lovina agreed to come because Feliciana wouldn't shut up about it. That's most definitely the only reason. Ludwig let out a heavy sigh when Gilbert and Francis hadn't arrived yet.

"He didn't even give me the room number" Ludwig sighed. Lovina groaned and shoved past him.

"Room 338, east wing, third floor" she recited as she headed for the elevator. Ludwig halted and narrowed his eyes. "How do you know that?" he asked suspiciously. Lovina gulped and whipped back around. Stupid potato with his…noticing things…

"I asked your idiot brother before we came" she lied. Ludwig looked her up and down before settling for her answer…for now. Lovina cursed to herself and jabbed the button. She was too damn careless sometimes.

Feliciana hung onto Ludwig's arm eagerly and, much to Lovina's surprise, the bastard actually smiled back. _Ludwig _gave her sister a light hearted, affectionate grin. And he fucking held her hand. Lovina's face turned bright red; out of embarrassment or a twinge of jealousy, she was unsure.

Antonio smiled in shock at the sight of the bubbly younger Italian. Feliciana eagerly questioned him with Ludwig standing by to be the more reasonable interviewer. Lovina stayed back, deciding to wait outside for Francis and Gilbert. She didn't know how she felt about being around Antonio after their discussion the other day. She'd said too much, revealed too much. He probably thought she was crazy. Lovina certainly thought she was.

Feliciana and Ludwig joined Lovina momentarily while Gilbert and Francis…did whatever the hell it is they do. Lovina wanted to bash her brains out listening to the couple's annoying chit chat. What she wouldn't give to be rescued from her uncomfortable third-wheeling.

"Lovina!"

Lovina's head snapped up when someone shouted her name. Lovina's eyes widened in horror when she saw Tino cheerily walking toward her. Both Ludwig and Feliciana switched between giving Lovina puzzled looks and glancing awkwardly at the approaching nurse.

"Did you come to see Antonio again?" he asked cheekily. Lovina bit her lip and shrank back when she felt Feliciana and Ludwig's eyes on her. "You already came, Sorella?" Feliciana asked quietly. Lovina gently nodded and tried to ignore the perplexed and suspicious look on Ludwig's face.

Francis walked out of the room giggling while Gilbert followed in a wheelchair. "Hey Lov, will you be my nurse?" Gilbert cackled. Lovina rolled her eyes at his immaturity along with Ludwig. Gilbert was, however, the perfect distraction for Lovina to escape unwanted questioning. Lovina decide to finally sip into Antonio's room.

Dealing with him would be less painful than dealing with the four idiots she was with. When she walked in, Antonio was on the phone, looking extremely nervous.

"Mamà, no hay preocuparse!" he chuckled nervously. "N-No, no necesitas ir al hospital. No! Sì, l-lo siento. Yo sè, yo sè…Los doctores es mejor que los en…Mamà! No, no necesito una esposa!"

Lovina let out a chuckle when Antonio whined. He was acting like such a five year old. Antonio glanced in her direction and blushed profusely. Remembering the conversation at hand, he quickly brought his attention back to the phone.

"Q-Que? No! No, no tengo una mujer conmigo! Lo siento…Pues, ella es…no, ella no es mi compañera…Ella no es mi esposa tampoco! Dios Mio, mama…Yo sè tù quieres nietos, pero no estoy listo…yo sè…sì…no…sì, pero…no. Te quiero tàmbien. Adios."

Antonio hung up with a groan. "Lovina, never, ever have a Spanish mother. I love her to death, but if I get one more lecture about finding a wife, I'm going to shoot myself" he sighed. Lovina pouted and narrowed her eyes.

"Don't be disrespectful!" she scolded. "She has the right to be worried!" Antonio chuckled and smirked. "About the accident or about getting married?" he chuckled. "Because I think she spent two seconds asking how I was before telling me what I really needed to get better was a girl."

Lovina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I'm sure your mother means well" she sighed. Antonio nodded and glanced at his phone. "She feels bad because she's all the way in Spain. She's not sure if she could help me even if I really needed it" he responded softly. "I think you'd like her though. You remind me a bit of her" he added with a smile.

"Maybe I…" Lovina started. But she quickly gulped and stopped. No, she wouldn't ever meet her. You don't bring students home to meet the parents. And your teacher meets the student's during conferences. That's it.

"Maybe I should go make sure Gilbert doesn't hurt himself" Lovina covered up quickly. Tino trudged in and sighed. "Too late" he mumbled as he made his way over to Antonio. "Your friends are kind of loud" Tino added a bit bitterly. Antonio smiled apologetically and shrugged.

"Anyway, I brought you the painkillers you wanted" Tino said as he fiddled with the monitor. Lovina furrowed her brows and frowned. "You're in pain?" she asked nervously. Antonio lifted his hand to silence her concerns and smiled. "It's nothing" he sighed. "I'm actually out of here tomorrow. And I'll be back at school by next week."

Lovina relaxed a bit and nodded. "Will you need help with anything?" she asked quietly. Antonio smiled and shook his head. "Francis will be helping me out of course. I just need to rest" he sighed before taking the strong medication the nurse brought him.

"I'll be back before you know it" Antonio chuckled sheepishly as Lovina began to turn away. Lovina gave him a small smile and shook her head. "Good. I've missed you" she replied honestly. "I better go see what Gilbert did" Lovina groaned as an afterthought. Antonio smirked and laid back.

"No goodbye like yesterday?" he cooed too sweetly. Lovina rolled her eyes and marched back over, ignoring Tino's amused chuckle. "You're lucky your head's been knocked around or else I'd bash it in" she snapped half heartedly. Lovina let out an exasperated sigh when Antonio just laughed.

"There's no way you're already high off of those drugs already" she mumbled before bending down and giving him a soft glare. Antonio stuck out his chin expectantly and patiently waited.

"Don't get used to this" Lovina sighed after kissing his cheeks again. Antonio grinned smugly and squeezed her arm.

"That's my little Italian!" he chirped. Lovina just shirk her head and started to walk out. "Have fun in La-La land, Antonio" she said as she left to go find her sister and Ludwig.

The latter was already waiting at the door looking very concerned. He gently grabbed her arm and pulled her aside which Lovina did not like one bit.

"Lovina…you can't…you know it's against the rules to…" Ludwig drew back a bit, trying to find the most delicate words. "You really can't be that close to a teacher" he finally whispered. Lovina scowled and ripped her arm away. Like hell this bastard was going to try to tell her what to do.

"I'm not" she hissed. "He's just like Francis or your brother, alright?!" Ludwig nodded and stepped back, only half convinced. But Feliciana trotted over with Francis and a concussed Gilbert, who had been nearly been impaled in a freak wheelchair accident that was quite traumatizing for everyone before Ludwig could think about it further.

Lovina was suddenly eager to leave after Ludwig's attempted lecture, bringing the latter and her sister out with her, leaving Francis and Gilbert to stay behind with Antonio for awhile longer.

**This chapter is weird and kind of filler, but things will move faster next time.**

**I'm really proud because I didn't use google translate for the Spanish. But I'm also not yet fluent so correct me if I'm wrong.**

**Translation: Mom, don't worry! You don't need to come to the hospital. No! Y-Yes, I'm sorry. I know, I know…The doctors are better than the ones in…Mom! I don't need a wife!**

**W-What? No! I don't have a woman with me! Sorry…well, she's…No, she's not my girlfriend…She's not my wife either! My God, mom…I know you want grandchildren, but I'm not ready…I know…Yeah…No…Yes, but…no. I love you too. Bye.**


	22. The Most Annoying Sin

An annoying jittery feeling wouldn't leave Lovina's stomach. Antonio said he'd be back today and Lovina was kind of relieved. Things would be back to normal once again. Bella chatted eagerly beside Lovina as they walked down the hall, but Lovina really wasn't paying attention. All she knew was that the classroom was only getting closer.

The door was already opened when they finally reached his room and a few students were inside. Lovina held her breath and walked in, almost afraid he wouldn't actually be there. But he was. He was standing at the board, scribbling away like he always would.

Bella smirked when Lovina seemed to slow at the sight of their newly returned teacher. She 'accidentally' bumped into Lovina and sent her stumbling forward, nearly knocking into the Spaniard. Lovina slowly turned her head and shot Bella the dirtiest look she could muster before looking back and meeting that bright smile and equally bright eyes.

"Hi Mr. Carriedo! We're glad to have you back" Bella chirped. Antonio looked to her and grinned. "I'm glad to be back, Bella" he chuckled before glancing back at Lovina. "It's good to see you all again" he added, still keeping his eyes locked on the Italian student. Lovina gulped and nodded before stepping back and heading to her seat.

Feliciana came in with her stupid boyfriend shortly after along with the rest of the students. The first ten minutes of class were spent bombarding Antonio with questions about what happened, why he had a boot on his leg, and the homework that almost everyone didn't do.

Antonio quickly answered their questions before immediately getting back into his normal rhythm. It was pretty impressive how he was able to ease back into teaching after being gone for nearly two weeks. But there really wasn't much time to go over what the sub had failed to teach. But Antonio assured his class any questions could be answered afterschool or during free period.

Lovina's stomach flipped when he brought that up. It really had been awhile since she'd spent time with him afterschool. And she really didn't quite understand a few things about the text. So a review session with Antonio actually sounded like a good idea.

(-)

Antonio was truly glad to be back. He really did like his job and was touched when his students were so concerned about him. It really was one of the payoffs of teaching. You found nice young adults who learned to care, and you in turn cared as well.

Antonio looked up from the papers he was grading when he heard a light knock on the already open door. Lovina smirked and crossed her arms when she entered after shutting it behind her.

"Look, you really screwed us over by getting hurt so I need your help" she huffed. Antonio laughed and leaned back in his chair, clearly amused by her explanation.

"Sorry about that. I won't let it happen again" he chuckled with a subtle eye roll before motioning for her to come over. "What do you need" he added politely as she set her book in front of him. Lovina leaned over his desk and pointed to the text on the page.

"It's this suicide part. I don't get it" she huffed. Antonio shook his head as she hopped up and sat on his desk. "What don't you understand?" he sighed. Sometimes her questions were too vague.

"Well first off, they turn into trees, which is kind of crazy. And then you've got Harpies flying around" she mumbled. Antonio nodded along and pushed aside the book.

"Alright, explain this; if the people who commit suicide are turned into trees, they are not what anymore?" he asked slowly. Lovina looked him up and down skeptically and thought.

"…Human?" she answered hesitantly. Antonio smiled and nodded. "Exactly. Their souls are trapped in the trees. They lose their bodies forever because they gave them up willingly."

Lovina crinkled her nose and frowned. "That seems kind of harsh…" she grumbled. "To try to escape pain to only be put through even more humiliating pain."

Antonio sighed and shrugged. "That's hell. It isn't fair or just. There are many who are put in hell when they do not truly deserve to go. Take Adultery, for example" Antonio explained. "Being unfaithful, cheating, lying, these are all wrong, yes?"

Lovina tilted her head and nodded, unsure of where he was going with this. "And lust, that's wrong as well?" he added a bit cautiously. "Lovina, tell me about Francesca and Paolo" Antonio requested. Lovina cleared her throat a bit and scooted closer.

"Francesca was married to Paolo's brother, but she was unfaithful and became Paolo's lover. His brother found out and killed them both, so they were sent to hell together" Lovina explained quietly. She didn't like learning about that encounter. It made her feel weird.

"Do you know why Francesca married Paolo's brother?" Antonio asked when she gave him the correct answer. Lovina shook her head as Antonio moved closer.

"It was purely political" he answered. "She never loved his brother. In fact, she hated him." Antonio sighed and held up his hand. "This is why I don't like Dante's example" he continued. "If you ask me, Francesca was never faithful to begin with."

Lovina nodded and glanced down at the floor. "I guess you have a point. But being unfaithful isn't the only reason people are sent to that circle of hell" she murmured. "There's also downright lust. 

"You're right" Antonio replied. "But how would you define lust? Some people argue thinking 'unclean thoughts' is enough to land you in hell."

Lovina snorted and rolled her eyes. "If that were true, we'd all be in hell" she scoffed. Antonio chuckled and tilted his head, looking over Lovina. "Lust is the most confusing sin, in my opinion. It's fueled by biological impulses, so it really can't be helped. And do I deserve to go to hell along with a murderer if I act on my desires that aren't harmful or destructive, especially if they are driven by emotion as well?"

Lovina swallowed and stared at Antonio for far too long. He was making too much sense. "N-No, no you don't" she answered quietly as she leaned closer. "You're only human" she added before letting her fingers brush against his.

Lovina wasn't even sure what she was doing anymore. She wasn't thinking; she was just doing. It felt different, but not in a bad way. And they way Lovina's heart was practically beating out of her chest was absolutely thrilling.

Antonio slowly rose and stood in front of Lovina, eyes locked on hers. He could tell something sparked behind her hazel irises. "But even if I gave in, no matter how hard I had tried-"

"It's not the same thing" Lovina interrupted. "You wouldn't have deserved to be punished for something that isn't a crime" she finished bitterly. Antonio continued to just stare at her. It was like the world was paused around them. Antonio took a small step closer and glanced down at her anxious hands that were gripping the edge of his desk. Feeling self conscious, Lovina started to bring her hands away. But Antonio stopped her.

"But I would have been letting the desire take over, so I'd be no better than the murderer" Antonio sighed after gently bringing his hands to her shoulders. Lovina shook her head and frowned.

"That's not true!" she scolded. But then a terrifying thought crossed her mind. Lovina's eyes widened when her heart stopped. "U-Unless you were being unfaithful…" she whispered hesitantly. Relief flooded over Lovina when Antonio quickly shook his head and moved even closer.

"I would never, no matter what" he answered firmly. Lovina felt guilty for even hinting at the notion. Of course not, Antonio would never, ever do that to anyone. "But even though our motives and actions are different, I am no different from a man who commits a different crime of passion because he cannot control himself" Antonio added before drawing away.

Lovina hopped down from her perch and followed him to the board. "But Mr. Carriedo…" Lovina trailed off when Antonio let out a heavy sigh. "Lovi, if I had given in, I would've been weak. Just like Paolo."

Lovina frowned and crossed her arms. "I thought you said he was a bad example" she hissed. Antonio glanced at Lovina out of the corner of his eye and shook his head. "I said Francesca was" he corrected. "Paolo was also married before he met Francesca. He was actually devoted to another woman."

Antonio turned away and began to erase the words scribbled onto the board. "Did you need anything else, Lovi?" he asked politely, clearly trying to change the subject. Lovina silently watched him. No matter what, he would always be the most infuriating man on the planet.

"No" she growled before heading for the door. Antonio stopped and grabbed her arm before she could leave. "Lovina…" he started slowly.

"There's a reason we can't give in to our desires, alright? Because no matter what, there will always be consequences. They take over, Lovina."

Antonio let go of her and shoved his hands in his pockets. "And they affect others around us. And it's not right to take advantage of an opportunity that's just sitting in front of you when you know it could come back to haunt you."

"But there's a time and a place. In a different context, some things are perfectly acceptable…" Antonio glanced back at Lovina and smirked. "Under certain circumstances, I know I'd wait if it meant my desires wouldn't be harmful anymore."

Lovina's face turned bright red. Did he just say what she thought he said? "This is all hypothetical of course" he mumbled before glancing down at the desk in front of him. Lovina felt her stomach twist and turn into knots as he picked up her book and handed it to her. "I hope I was able to help" he continued before stepping back and running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, you always are" Lovina sighed before going back to the door. "I always seem to get a straight answer out of you" she added bitterly before turning the knob and stepping out.

Lovina didn't really care if the door slammed behind her. She was pretty fucking sick of this game.


	23. Relieving Frustrations

**Ya'll ready fo dis?**

"Lovina, watch what you're doing for god's sake!"

Lovina blinked and pulled her hand away when she heard Arthur snap. She looked down to see that the cup she was filling had overflowed and spilled all over the table. Great, just another thing she had to deal with. Lovina groaned and pulled a small dishtowel out from the band of her apron.

"Sorry" she mumbled as she wiped up the mess. Arthur looked her up and down before leaning forward and frowning. "Alright, what's wrong?" he sighed before leaning back again and crossing his arms. Lovina rolled her eyes and continued to clean, desperate to get out of there. But the mess just kept getting bigger and the coffee just spread and she was getting more and more frustrated.

"God damn it! I'm just fucking it up even more!" she snapped as she finally threw the rag onto the table. Lovina gripped her forehead and paced in front of Arthur, too riled up to stay still. "I just try so fucking hard, but it gets even more confusing and messy and I don't know what to do Arthur. I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing!"

Arthur stared at her wide eyed and cleared his throat. He had never gotten a reaction like that out of her before. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume we aren't talking about spilled beverages anymore" he chuckled nervously.

Lovina groaned and slumped into the chair across from her favorite customer. "I don't know what he wants. I-I know what I want, but I can't do anything and I don't know if I should let it go, or wait…"

Lovina's frustrated glare turned into a pained pout as she rested her head on the table. Arthur looked down at her sympathetically as she idly poked at the salt shaker in front of her. "I'm scared I'll lose him no matter what I do" she whimpered.

Arthur sighed and leaned onto his elbows as he tried to sort through what she was saying. "Why should you wait? Does 'he' want you to?" he asked quietly. Lovina just winced and tensed. "I could get him in trouble" she responded softly.

Arthur nodded and tried to think of something to say. He gulped and gave her one last glance before rubbing his forehead.

"Have I ever mentioned Alfred?" he sighed. Lovina picked her head up a bit to look up at him before shaking her head. Arthur let out a shaky breath before running his hands through his hair.

"I met him a few years ago when I was working with a publishing company in New York." Arthur smiled to himself in a way Lovina had never seen him smile before. It was almost like Antonio's. "He's the biggest idiot I've ever met" Arthur continued. "He's loud, intrusive, obnoxious, and he would eat like he hadn't seen food in days without gaining a single kilo! Do you know how infuriating that is?!"

Lovina crinkled her nose and stared. "Arthur, you sound like every high school girl I've ever met" she snorted. Arthur rolled his eyes and continued.

"Anyways, I loved him. And he loved me." Arthur's smile faded as he ran his finger along the edge of his cup. "But he also loved his country. He was deployed two years ago. Out in the middle east."

Lovina picked her head up and shrank back in her chair. She didn't like Arthur's grim expression at all.

"He had wanted to join the military long before he met me…" Arthur's smile returned but absolutely crushed Lovina. The pain behind it was almost unbearable. "He wanted to be a hero. To help people. Though I'm not sure he knew exactly what he was getting into. But he didn't want to hold me back. So he refused to let me wait for him."

"He broke up with you?" Lovina asked quietly. Arthur shook his head and let out a bitter chuckle. "I wish" he sighed. "I haven't heard one word from him. Broke off all communication because he was trying to play the hero. He could be dead for all I know. You know what he said before he left? 'Arthur, you'd make a shitty army wife.' And-and that just proves what an idiot he is."

Arthur clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "Because I waited. And you know what? I still am. And if he comes back and says 'Iggy, I never want to see you again,' that's fine. Those years would not have been a waste of time, not a single second. And if he comes back in a coffin, the years wouldn't be wasted either."

Lovina looked away and bit her lip. This was too much. For Arthur to compare her petty problems to his real issues? Unacceptable. She was a girl with a crush on her teacher. Not someone waiting for a man who was putting his life on the line for others.

Arthur slowly looked back up at Lovina slowly. "My point is, there's nothing wrong with waiting, even if it will never happen. You may think it's tying you down or holding you back, but if you're willing to put everything on hold for one person, then they are obviously worth it. I know you, Lovina. You wouldn't be debating this if it wasn't important."

"But you deserve an answer. I want you to know for certain" he added solemnly. Lovina nodded and avoided Arthur's gaze. There was something that wouldn't shut up in the back of her mind.

"What about Francis?"

Arthur stared at the table guiltily. "He was a distraction. I-I was desperate and I thought maybe I could forget. But I was stupid to ever assume that."

Lovina nodded before rising. "Thank you. I…I mean it. I'll never know why you put up with me" Lovina grumbled before finishing cleaning up the previously ignored mess. Arthur smirked and raised his cup to her. "Who else will simply brighten my day?" he chuckled as she rolled her eyes.

But Arthur caught her smile. It was a small curve, but it was there.

(-)

She was going to do it. She was going to march right up to him and make him tell her the truth. Lovina smirked victoriously as she strode down the hall. Even if it wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, she'd get it out of him.

Lovina pushed the door open and looked down at Antonio, who greeted her with a small smile. "Do you need something Lovi?" he asked before pushing out of his chair and putting a book away.

Lovina's mouth went dry. She had pumped herself, but had no idea where the fuck to start or what the fuck to say.

"M-Mr. Carriedo!" she finally stammered. "Wait no; Antonio!" that was better. They weren't going to be talking about school. Antonio cocked an eyebrow when he faced her again. "Is everything alright, Lovi?" he asked slowly.

Lovina gulped and shook her head. "What's going to happen? W-When I go?" she forced out. Antonio was completely and utterly lost.

"'Go'?" he asked as he tilted her head. This is definitely their strangest conversation yet.

"A-At the end of the year" Lovina explained. Antonio smiled and chuckled. "I believe you'll be getting ready to go to Tuscany. I know you'll be able to do it" he cooed. Lovina shook her head and walked up to him, cheeks burning.

"N-No, not that. I mean you" she responded quietly. Antonio drew back a bit and gulped. "I-I'm not sure what you're asking…" he replied halfheartedly. Lovina bit her lip and stepped back. He was always avoiding this!

"Yes you do!" she snapped back. Antonio glanced around nervously and forced a smile. "I'll be getting ready for next year of course" he responded shakily.

"Are you really doing this?!" she snapped. "I just…" Lovina couldn't even remember how to speak.

"Lovi, you'll go to school and I'll stay here" Antonio answered quietly. "You're welcome to come back and visit, but you'll probably have more important things to do."

"What do you want?" Lovina asked firmly. Antonio looked away, unable to think clearly under her stare. "I want you to be happy and successful. Just like everyone else" he answered quietly. Now she had gone from no answer to vague answer along with lumping her with 'everyone else'. This was not going as planned and everything was turning into shit right in front of her eyes. The only thing left to do was run. So Lovina did.

(-)

Sleep did not come easy when you just embarrassed yourself and looked like a complete idiot to the one person who mattered most. So Lovina tossed and turned, doomed to replay the afternoon over and over again probably until morning. When she had to face Antonio.

Thankfully, the horror film being presented in her mind was cut short by a banging on the back door downstairs. Lovina slowly rose and narrowed her eyes. Grandpa and Feli could sleep through a train wreck, so it looked like Lovina was going to have to beat the shit out of any intruders.

Baseball bat in hand, Lovina slowly crept down the stairs, more than ready to go Mafia on anyone's ass. Lovina raised the bat after ripping open the door and almost whacked the living shit out of Gilbert.

"Spare me, crazy 'talian chick!" he squealed. Lovina lowered the bat and frowned when she heard his slurred speech. "A phone call wouldn't have sufficed?" she groaned. Gilbert swung his head left and right grimly.

"Lov, I did somethin' stupid" he whimpered pathetically. Lovina rolled her eyes and let him in, leading him into the empty restaurant and setting him in one of the booths.

"Alright, spill" she ordered, hands on hips. Gilbert hung his head and stared at his hands. "I went to grab a bite with Liz, just the two of us. A-And don't ask me how, but for some reason we started talkin' 'bout babies" he sighed.

"She got all sad after awhile and when I asked why, she says 'Rod's not sure if he wants 'em.' Now lemme tell you somethin'; that woman wants to make babies n' have babies so they can have babies and she can have a huge family. I know this for a fact."

Gilbert looked up at Lovina and slammed his fist on the table. "She wants to fucking have a family, and he might not let her!" he snapped. "What the fuck is she doing, Lov?! It's not fair and I don't get it!"

Lovina nodded and glanced up the stairs. She really did have a family full of heavy sleepers. "So what happened? What did you do?" she asked hesitantly. Gilbert gritted his teeth and snarled. "That prick decides to finally give half a shit about where his fiancé is and shows up. And I punched him. I punched that son of a bitch right in the jaw."

Lovina covered her mouth with her hand and held in a gasp. "Gil, you didn't" she scolded. Gilbert just shook his head and laughed. "Now she really hates me" he shot back bitterly. Lovina looked him up and down before stepping forward.

"Have you ever wanted to forget her?" Lovina asked quietly, thinking about her conversation with Arthur and not remembering the right part. Gilbert looked up at her and shrugged. "Forget Liz? No. Forget losing her to an Austrian princess? Yes" he mumbled as he fumbled with his fingers. Lovina took another step closer.

"Have you ever wanted a distraction?"

Gilbert laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I have. I guess I do" he chuckled forcefully. Lovina nodded to herself before closing the gap and pushing him down, crashing her lips to his.

Lovina didn't entirely know why she did it. He was frustrated, she was frustrated, and just because it didn't work for Arthur doesn't mean it couldn't work for them. Plus, she trusted Gilbert. He was an ass and annoying beyond belief at times, but he was reliable.

Lovina almost pulled away when he kissed back and quickly took control. That's right; this was her first kiss. Unless you include…no. Absolutely not. 3rd grade does not count. Lovina felt pathetic when she remembered how she had wanted Antonio to be her first kiss. But instead she was settling for a depressed Gilbert pushed into a booth who probably didn't even know what was happening, based on how strong the taste of beer in his mouth was.

Gilbert grunted and broke away. "Lov, why're you doing this?" he asked quickly. Lovina gritted her teeth and stared him down. "Same reason you are" she hissed. Gilbert looked her up and down before sighing and starting to sit up.

"I don't know Lov, I-"

"Fuck you!" Lovina interrupted. "Maybe I started this, but you sure as hell continued it!" Lovina angrily grabbed his collar, basically scaring the shit out of Gilbert. "It's either yes or no. There's no fucking in between! I'm sick of second guessing!"

Gilbert blinked and stared before flashing her a small smirk. "He must have really pissed you off" Gilbert chuckled. Lovina scowled and pushed him back down. "You have no idea" she snarled before kissing him again, this time much more aggressively. She just poured it all out. And Gilbert was willing to take it.

"This is a onetime thing" Gilbert panted after momentarily pulling away. Lovina just nodded and tried to pull him back. "And we need a safe word" he added quickly. Gilbert actually cared for this girl and didn't want to hurt her or make her do something she would regret.

"Fine. Tomato" she groaned. Gilbert rolled his eyes at the word. Well obviously she wasn't going to make it wurst. Or potato.

"Fine" he mumbled before pulling her onto his lap and resuming their previous activity. Though she'd never admit, Lovina didn't think this was that bad. Sure, it was a little sloppy, but Gilbert was still drunk and she was new to this. Lovina wrapped her legs around Gilbert's waist and tugged at his silvery-white hair, hoping she was doing this right. Gilbert seemed to be enjoying himself, so she obviously wasn't terrible. She was Italian; of course she naturally knew what to do.

Lovina's breath hitched when Gilbert moved down to her neck and went so far as to bite and suck on the skin. Lovina roughly grabbed his chin and pulled him back up to face her. "Tomato. And if I find one fucking mark, I'll skin you alive" she snarled. Gilbert nodded and came back to her lips, cautiously letting his hands wander. Lovina was fully capable of deciding when to stop him and he would respect her when she did. But Gilbert wasn't going to hold back until she did. This is what she wanted.

Gently creeping under the hem of her shirt, Gilbert slowly ran his hand up her back. And Lovina hadn't stopped him. So he kept going at it slowly until his eyes flew open when her hips pressed against his.

"Tomato!"

Lovina broke away, surprised to hear Gilbert squeak. He just really didn't want to have any encouragement to get too into this. Lovina frowned as Gilbert's eyelids began to droop.

"Want to crash on the couch?" she sighed. Grandpa wouldn't mind. Gilbert was practically family. Ew, no, she didn't want to think about that. Gilbert nodded groggily and let her pull him upstairs before being pushed onto the couch.

"Thanks Lov, I needed this" he groaned as he lay back. Lovina just nodded and threw him an extra pillow. But he was already out, so it just plopped onto his head with no response. Lovina rolled her eyes and retreated back to her own room, wondering how much she was going to hate herself the next morning.

**I'm evil.**


End file.
